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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



-FRONTISPIECE 




THE PROTESTANTS: 

BEING A A*^, 

CONTINUATION OF THE 

REFORMATION IN GERMANY ; 
from 1525, to 1532: 

INCLUDING THE 

CONFESSION OF AUGSBURG. 



The Fourteenth T'cZesstie of the Sabbath School 

CHUM CSE MSI f§ TOM. I\ 



/ 
BY HARVEY NEWCOMB. 



Written for the Massachusetts Sabbath School Society, and 
revised by the Committee of Publication. 



BOSTON: 



MASSACHUSETTS SABBATH SCHOOL SOCIETY. 
Depository, No. 13 Cornhill. 

1839. 



V 



\-v 



A S 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1839, 
BY C. C. DEAN, 

in the Clerk 7 s Office of the District Court of Massachusetts. 



3C& 






LC Control Number 



tmp96 030672 



The following are the previous volumes 
of the Sabbath School Church 
History, arranged in Chronological 
order, with the period embraced in 
each. 

1 . History of the First Christians, 

Cent. I. 

2. Stories of the Second and Third 

Centuries, Cent. II. and III. 

3. Martyrs of Lyons and Vienna, 

part of Cent. II. 

4. Stories of the Church in the Fourth 

Century, Cent. IV. 

5. History of the Church in the Fifth 

Century, Cent. V. 

6. Great Apostacy, (A concise view 

of Popery,) Cent. I. to XVI. 

1* 



VI 



7. The False Prophet, (A History of 

Mohammed and his followers,) 

Cent. VI. 

8. Life of Columba, (Church in Eng- 

land, Ireland, and Scotland,) 
Cent. VI. and VII. 

9. Dark Ages, Cent. VII. to XII. 

10. Waldenses, Cent. XII. to XVII. 

11. Lollards, Cent. XIII. to XV. 

12. Dawn of Divine Light, 

Cent. XVI.— 1500 to 1521. 

13. The Anabaptists, 

Cent. XVI.— 1521 to 1525. 



CONTENTS 



Page. 

Preface, - - - - - - -,-15 

CHAPTER I. 

Character of John, Elector of Saxony, - - 20 
Influence of the connection of Church and State, 22 
Origin of the Lutheran Church, 22 

Effects of John's measures, - - - - - 23 

Civil war prevented by the troubled state of Europe, 24 
Religious zeal and worldly ambition of the Catholic 
princes, - - - - - - -25 

Difficulties between the Emperor and the Pope, 25 

Diet of Spire, - 26 

Character of the German Diet, 26 

Decision of the Diet of Spire favorable to the Pro- 
testants, „ - - - - - - -28 

Quarrel of the Emperor and Pope, 29 

The Protestants improve the advantages gained at 
Spire, - - - - - --30 

Visitation of the Reformed churches, - - 30 

Mischievous principles involved in the proceeding, 32 
Difference of principle in supporting education and 

religion by the state, 34 

Ignorance of the clergy and people, - - - 35 
Questions, - 36 



Vlll CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER II. 

Motives of the Emperor for wishing to suppress the 

Reformation, 37 

His mercenary religious zeal, - - - - 38 

Mercenary spirit of hereditary rulers, - - 39 
Second Diet of Spire — its unjust and oppressive de- 
cree, ------- 41 

Origin of the term Protestants, 42 
The Emperor imprisons their deputies, - - - 44 
Controversy between the German and Swiss Reform- 
ers, in regard to the Eucharist, 45 
Questions, - - - - - --48 

CHAPTER III. 

Prevailing desire for a General Council, - - 49 

Motives of the Reformers for desiring a Council, 50 

Motives of the princes, ecclesiastics and people, 50 

The Pope opposed to a general Council, 50 

Views of the Emperor, ----- 51 

Excitement among the people, 52 

The Emperor's feelings softened, - - - 53 

Characters composing the Diet of Augsburg, - 53 

Divines who accompanied each party, - - 55 

Mean artifices of the Papists, - 56 
Emptiness of worldly grandeur, - - - - n 57 

Happiness derived from the state of mind, - 58 

Papal arrogance, - - - - - 59 

Popish craft, - - - - -- - 61 



CONTENTS. IX 

Protestant firmness, ------ 62 

Christian boldness, ------ 64 

Another plot defeated, 65 

Catholic and Protestant preaching — difference in 

spirituality, ------ 66 

Compromise in regard to preaching, - - - 67 

Devotional habits of the Emperor, - - - 69 

Shameful conduct of the Catholics, - - - 69 

Piety of the Elector of Saxony, 70 
Questions, .------70 

CHAPTER IV. 

Opening of the Diet of Augsburg, 72 

Unfairness of the Popish party, - - - - 73 

Presentation of the Protestant Confession, - 75 

Reading of the Confession refused, - - - 76 

The Protestants demand a hearing, 76 
The Emperor consents to give them a hearing ; but 

not in full diet, ------ 77 

Reading of the Confession, 78 

Good impressions produced by the reading, - - 79 

Mercenary character of Romanism, 82 

Good impressions of the Bishop of Augsburg, - 83 

Raillery well answered, - - - - - 85 

Questions, - - - - - - - - 85 

CHAPTER V. 

The Confession of Augsburg, - 86 
Faith may be exercised in regard to things not un- 
derstood, ------- 87 



X CONTENTS. 

Original Sin — Doctrine of the Reformers, - 88 

Adam placed in circumstances as favorable for trial 

as any of his race could be, 89 

The existence of the social relations necessarily in- 
volves mankind in the consequences of each 
other's conduct, - 90 

Connection of Adam's sin with the character and 

condition of his posterity, 90 

Native Depravity, ------ 91 

Objections — how answered, - - - - 94 

Views of the Papists, - 95 

Practical influence of the doctrine of Original Sin, 95 
The blessings of Redemption exceed the injuries of 

the fall, 97 

Humbleness of mind needful in contemplating this 

doctrine, . . . . . . .98 

The great doctrine of the Reformation, -. . 99 
Why we cannot receive the benefits of Christ's 

death without faith, ..... 100 

Influence of the doctrine, in promoting holiness cf 

heart and purity of life, .... 101 

A tried foundation, 103 

Other foundations fail, . . . . .103 

Means of grace, ....... 104 

The Holy Spirit not given independently of truth 

communicated to the mind, . . . 104 
The Church — different views of Protestants and Pa- 
pists, 106 

Unworthiness of other communicants no ground for 

withdrawing from the table of the Lord, . 107 



CONTENTS. XI 

Baptism and ihe Lord's Supper, . . . 107 

Transubstantiation and Consubstantiation, . .108 
Confession, ....... 109 

Absolution-different views of Papists and Lutherans, 110 
Repentance — difference between the views of Pa- 
pists and Protestants, .... Ill 

Sacraments — difference of Popish and Protestant 

views, ....... 112 

The Ministry — human institutions, . . . 113 

Prejudices — how far they may be innocently grati- 
fied, .... T ... 114 

Civil Government — views of the Reformers, Ana- 
baptists, and certain errorists of the present 

day 115 

The second coming of Christ— the Judgment— final 
salvation of the righteous — eternal punishment 
of the wicked — free will, . . . .118 

Good works, . . . . . . .120 

The Rosary — Popish corruptions — distinction be- 
tween civil and ecclesiastical power, . .121 
Questions, ....... 123 

CHAPTER VI. 

Reception of the Confession — the Refutation, &c. 12-5 

Papal Hypocrisy, 127 

The Refutation, . .129 

A Copy refused, . . . . . .132 

A Mediation proposed, 133 

Accession to the Protestant cause, . . . 134 



Xll CONTENTS. 

Conferences appointed, . . . . . 135 
Failure of the Conferences, . . . . .136 
Luther's employments, . . . .137 

Luther's Address to the clergy of the Diet, . .138 
The Papists teach men to fly from Christ as the 

minister of vengeance, .... 140 
Effect of Luther's address, . . . . .141 
Luther's correspondence, ..... 143 
State of Religion in Saxony, .... 144 

Luther's Faith, 145 

Popish artifices — trying situation of the Protestants, 150 
Melancthon's anxiety — Luther's confidence, . 151 

Luther's devotional habits, .... 153 
Beautiful illustration, . , . . . . .154 
Questions, . . . . . . • 156 

CHAPTER VII.- 

Conclusion of the Diet, . . . . . 157 

The Emperor's decision, 157 

The answer of the Protestants, . . . .159 

Decree of the Diet, 160 

Answer or Apology of the Protestants, . .163 

Harsh reply of the Emperor, . . . ' . 164 
Bold reply of the Elector of Saxony, . . . 166 
The Elector of Saxony takes leave — his advice to 

the Senate of Nuremberg, .... 169 
Difference between the Reformed and Lutheran 

Churches, 171 



CONTENTS. Xlll 

Other Confessions, 172 

Questions; 173 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Luther's warning, ...... 174 

League of Smalkald, . . . . » • \ . 179 

Good efforts resulting from differences of sentiment 

among the Protestants, .... 181 

Difference of sentiment among the early Chrsitians, 182 
True ground of Christian union. .... 182 

How Christians should treat their brethren who dif- 
fer with them, 182 

Difference between truth and the philosophy of 

truth, 183 

Protestant measures of defence, . . . 185 

Constitution of the German Confederacy — right of 

resisting the decree of the Diet, . . . 187 
Pacification of Nuremberg, .... 188 
Views, feelings, and proceedings of the Pope s . 190 

His measures to defeat the project of a council, 

while he appeared to favor it, . . . 191 
Questions, 193 

CHAPTER IX. 

Death of Zuinglius, CEcolampadius, and the Elector 

of Saxony, . . . . . . 194 



it 



XIV CONTENTS. 

Character of the Elector of Saxony, . . . 195 

Illness of Luther, 200 

Cruelty of the Duke of Lorraine, .... 201 
Influence of Popery and Protestantism contrasted, 202 
Questions 203 



PREFACE, 



It is now seven years since the se- 
ries of volumes was commenced, of 
which this is the fourteenth. The 
author would acknowledge the good 
hand of God upon him, in enabling 
him thus far to prosecute so arduous 
an undertaking ; and he cannot but 
express the hope that the attention of 
parents and teachers will be more di- 
rectly called to the rich and inexhaust- 
ible fund of valuable information which 
is contained in the history of the church. 
It is especially desirable that the young 
should, at this time, be acquainted with 
ecclesiastical history, to guard them 



XVI PREFACE. 

against the numerous forms in which 
old exploded errors are revived and 
palmed upon the inquiring mind as 
v new discoveries. To bring this valua- 
ble information into a popular form, 
accompanied with practical observa- 
tions, suited to the young and to the 
common reader in distinction from the 
student, is the object of these volumes. 
That they may be, in some humble 
degree, useful in advancing the cause 
of evangelical doctrine and piety, is 
the sincere desire and prayer of the 
author. 

Boston, May, 1839. 



PERSONS INTRODUCED IN THE FOL- 
LOWING CONVERSATIONS. 

The Mother ; 

Samuel ; an intelligent and pious youth 

of sixteen. 
Elizabeth ; an intelligent and pious girl 

of fourteen. 

Peter ; a boy of twelve, of an ardent, 
impetuous disposition. 

Caroline ; a sprightly and inquisitive girl 
of eight. 



THE PROTESTANTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

Character of John Elector of Saxony — He openly espouses 
the Reformation — His proceedings excite the jealousy of 
the Catholic princes, who begin to unite for opposing the 
Reformation by force — Alliance of the Elector of Saxony 
and the Landgrave of Hesse — Diet of Spires, favorable 
termination of— Visitation of the churches. 

Elizabeth. Mother, the evenings are long, 
again ; I think we might resume our con- 
versations on the History of the churches? 

Mother. Yes, my daughter. I am glad 
you have reminded me of them ; for I was 
at a loss to determine how to spend this 
evening in a pleasant and profitable man- 
ner, with my dear children. Do you re- 
member the incident, which closed our last 
conversation 7 
2 



20 CHARACTER OF JOHN. 

Elizabeth. Yes, mother. It was the 
death of the good Frederic, Elector of 
Saxony.^ I shall always remember him 
with great interest, as one of the best of 
princes. 

Mother. Samuel, do you remember the 
time when Frederic died ? 

Samuel. He died the fifth of May, 1525. 

Mother. Well, that shall fix the date of 
our present conversation. We will begin 
there. Can you tell me, Elizabeth, who 
succeeded him ? 

Elizabeth. Yes, mother ; it was his 
brother John. 

Mother. Samuel, can you tell me any 
thing about the character of John, the new 
Elector of Saxony ? 

Samuel. Yes mother, he was a very 
different man from his brother Frederic. 
As Frederic seems to have been raised up 
to protect the Reformation in its infancy, 
so John appears to have been raised up to 
establish it and give it a form and charac- 
ter. Frederic was cautious and prudent ; 

*See " Anabaptist," p. 221. 



ELECTOR OF SAXONY. 21 

and as he always entertained the hope of 
effecting a reformation in the Catholic 
church, he endeavored to prevent any formal 
separation from it. On the other hand, 
John was fully satisfied of the truth of 
Luther's doctrines; and foreseeing that 
they must be sacrificed, unless the papal 
yoke was thrown off entirely, he renounced 
at once the authority of the Pope, and or- 
ganized and established a church in his do- 
minions, distinct from the church of Rome, 
and independent of it. 

Elizabeth. Mother, was he not wrong 
in taking this on himself. You have often 
told us that the state has nothing to do 
with the church. 

Mother. 1 suppose he acted according 
to the light he had. People had been so 
long accustomed to seeing religion support- 
ed by the state, that the idea seems not to 
have occurred to the early reformers that it 
could be supported in any other way. 
And, perhaps it was necessary, under the 
peculiar circumstances of the times, that it 



22 LUTHERAN CHURCH. 

should be supported in this manner, for a 
while. Yet, the subsequent history of the 
church in Germany shows the fearful con- 
sequences of attempting to join together 
what God has separated. Christ says, 
" My kingdom is not of this world ;" and 
every attempt to make it a worldly king- 
dom, and to support it with "carnal wea- 
pons," has proved like the embrace of a 
scorpion. However, John caused regula- 
tions to be drawn up by Luther and Me- 
lancthon, for the constitution and govern- 
ment of the church, and the form and 
mode of public worship ; which were pub- 
lished in the year 1 527. He also placed 
pious and competent pastors over all the 
churches, and removed such as were unfit 
for the sacred office. This was the founda- 
tion of the Lutheran Church. 

Elizabeth. I think that was a great ad- 
vance in the cause of the Reformation ; 
for it was in vain for them any longer to 
hope for any reform in the church of 
Rome. 



SPIRIT OF POPERY. 23 

Mother. Yes, that system had become 
so corrupt in all its parts that reformation 
was hopeless. The example of John was 
soon followed by the other German princes 
and states, which favored the reformation. 

Peter. How did the Catholics like that, 
Mother ? 

Mother. The prudence of the Elector 
Frederic had kept the German princes in a 
good degree united. Bat, when it was 
seen that John was determined to separate 
the churches of his territory entirely from 
the church of Rome, it created a great 
division among them : and those who were 
before wavering, now became settled and 
determined, some on one side and some on 
the other. And those princes who ad- 
hered strongly to Popery, began to consult 
together about attacking the Lutheran par- 
ty by force. 

Peter. That is just like Popery, moth- 
er. The Catholics are always for carry- 
ing things by force. 



2* 



24 FORCED RELIGION. 

Mother. Yes, my son. But it is very 
foolish to think of convincing men of the 
truth by force of arms. 

Samuel If they were really zealous for 
religion, I think they were very much mis- 
taken ; for no service which is not from 
the heart, can be acceptable to God ; and if 
men are forced to profess what they do not 
believe, it will not make them any better, 
even if it is the truth. 

Mother. That is the point, my son. 
The church of Rome knows nothing of 
heart religion ; hence the reason why they 
are so zealous for outward forms. 

Peter. Did they make war upon the 
Lutherans at this time, mother ? 

Mother. No ; they were prevented from 
doing so, by the troubled state of Europe ; 
which was involved in continual wars, in 
consequence of the ambition of Charles V. 
King of Spain and Emperor of Germany, 
Francis I. King of France, and Henry 
VIII. King of England; all of whom pro- 
fessed to be very zealous for the Catholic 



THE EMPEROR AND POPE. 25 

religion. But a thirst for power was the 
leading motive with them, while they 
made use of religion as a cloak for their 
ambitious projects. Solyman, the Grand 
Turk, was also invading the empire ; and 
at this time, the emperor was employed in 
a violent contest with the Pope. For, al- 
though he acknowledged him as the head 
of the church, and the Vicegerent of Christ 
on earth ; yet, when the Pope opposed his 
schemes of aggrandizement, he did not 
scruple to make war upon him, and even 
to take him prisoner, and give up the holy 
city to plunder. All these things w T ere, 
however, exceedingly favorable to the refor- 
mation ; for while the emperor was thus 
employed, he had no time to attend to his 
own dominions: and all that was necessa- 
ry for the spread of the new opinions was, 
that they should be let alone. Thus we 
see how God overrules the bad passions 
and evil designs of men to accomplish his 
own purposes. But, when the leading 
men among the Lutherans saw the designs 



26 DIET OF SPIRE. 

of the Papists, they began to consult among 
themselves for their own safety : and on 
the fourth of May, 1526, the Elector of 
Saxony and the Landgrave of Hesse met 
at Torgou, and formed an alliance for 
mutual defence. And, on the twenty-fifth 
of June, in the same year, the Diet of the 
Empire was held at Spire. 

Caroline. I don't understand these 
words, mother — Elector and Landgrave. 

Mother. There were certain princes, in 
the German Empire, who elected or chose 
the Emperors. These princes were called 
Electors. Landgrave was a title given to 
the princes of Hesse Hamburg. 

Caroline. What was a Diet ) mother? 

Elizabeth. O, I remember about the 
Diet of Worms, that condemned Luther. 
It was an assembly of the princes and great 
men of the nation, for making laws, like 
our Congress. 

Samuel. It was not much like our Con- 
gress, neither; for it was composed of men 
entitled to sit in it by their birth, and by 



DIET OF SPIRE. 27 

the offices they held. But Congress is com- 
posed of men chosen by the people on pur- 
pose for making laws. Besides, the Diet 
was not so independent as Congress, being 
very much under the influence of the Em- 
peror ; and their power was much greater 
than that of Congress, which is limited by 
the constitution. 

Mother. That is true, my son ; and yet, 
the Diet was a great check on the power of 
the Emperor. Caroline, can you find 
Spire on your map ? 

Caroline. O yes, mother, I have found 
it already. Here it is, on the river Rhine, 
not far from Heidelberg. 

Mother. Well; the Diet assembled at 
that place; and Ferdinand, the Emperor's 
brother, presided. 

Peter. Now, I suppose we shall hear of 
war, mother. I remember how the Reform- 
ers were treated at the Diet of Worms. ^ 

Mother. The Emperor sent word to the 
Diet — that all contentions on religious sub- 

* See " The Dawn/ 7 &c. p. 204. 



28 COMPLETE TOLERATION. 

\ 

jects must cease, and the Edict of Worms 
be put in force against Luther and his fol- 
lowers. But the princes declared that it 
was not in their power to carry this edict 
into effect, nor to pass any definite deci- 
sions on the subject, till a general council, 
properly assembled, should have examined 
and judged the case. This decision was 
made after long discussions ; and it was 
unanimously resolved to present a petition 
to the Emperor, urging him to call a free 
council without delay ; and that, till the 
council was called, every prince should be 
at liberty to manage the religious concerns 
of his own territory as he saw fit, under a 
sense of his accountability to the Emperor 
and to God. 

Samuel That was a great victory for 
the Reformers, mother. 

Mother. Yes ; nothing could have been 
more favorable to the Reformation. The 
Emperor was now so much occupied with 
other affairs, and especially with his dis- 
pute with the Pope, that he suffered things 



COMPLETE TOLERATION. 29 

to remain in this condition for several 
years ; and within the dominions of the 
princes who favored the Reformation, this 
edict amounted to complete toleration. 
The Emperor's own conduct, also, con- 
tributed not a little to bring the authority 
of the Pope into disrepute. During the 
quarrel between the Emperor and the pon- 
tiff, Clement published an angry brief 
against Charles, to which the latter, made 
a long reply, in which he charged him 
with ingratitude, deceit, and ambition, and 
appealed from him to a general council. 
He also wrote to the college of cardinals,^ 
requiring them, in case the Pope refused, 
to call a general council.f All this was 
done in a style of severity little inferior to 
that of Luther. The professors of the re- 
formed religion therefore improved this op- 
portunity, to great advantage, for strength- 
ening their cause. All those who had 
before rejected the authority of the Pope, 

* See Great Apostacy 5 pp. 102—104. 
f lb. pp. 44, 45, 69. 



30 VISITATION OF 

employed this interval in regulating their 
religious affairs, and establishing the re- 
formed churches more fully; and many 
who had been before restrained by fear, 
now banished the old superstitions from 
their territories ; while those who were still 
attached to the Papal interests made no at- 
tempts to molest those who had embraced 
the new principles. 

Elizabeth. I suppose Luther did not re- 
main inactive at such a time. 

Motfier. No ; he and his associates, es- 
pecially those who resided with him at 
Wittemberg, by their writings, preaching, 
and admonitions, gave courage to the ir- 
resolute, and imparted light and animation 
to all. And, during this time, the Elector 
of Saxony caused a visitation of the 
churches, throughout his dominions. His 
territories were divided into four districts, 
and different sets of visiters appointed for 
each, consisting of one or two clergymen 
and three or more lawyers. These visiters 
had written instructions, which were drawn 



THE CHURCHES. 31 

up by Melancthon and two or three law- 
yers. Luther was the visiter for Saxony 
prope r and Melancthon for Misnia. 

PeCer. What was this done for, mother? 

Mother. When any improvement or 
reformation is attempted, it is necessary 
first to know the condition of the thing to 
he improved, or the society to be reformed. 
These visiters were directed to take ac- 
count of the state of all the parishes, mon- 
asteries, schools, and cathedrals ; and to 
examine into the character and conduct of 
all the clergy, monks, and school teachers ; 
with power to remove improper men, sup- 
ply vacancies, and regulate the salaries of 
all. They were also to appoint superin- 
tendents, to examine all young ministers, 
and to watch over the clergy within certain 
limits ; and if they found any unfaithful, to 
admonish them, a;id if they did not reform, 
to report them to the civil authorities. 

Elizabeth. I am sure, mother, that was 
a very good measure, which could not fail 
to improve the condition of the churches. 
3 



32 VISITATION OF 

Mother. If we admit the right Df the 
state to regulate the affairs of the ciurch, 
perhaps no better measure could hare been 
devised ; and so long as a pious prirce was 
at the head of the state, the iniuence 
would no doubt be salutary. Perhaps this 
was so ordered of Providence as tie best 
thing that the circumstances of the times 
would allow. Yet, there are prnciples 
involved in this proceeding which must not 
for a moment be admitted by us. 

Samuel. Yes, mother, I see several mis- 
chievous principles here, which I think 
can never be admitted t>y congregation- 
alists of New-England. The first is, the 
imposing of preachers upon the people 
without their consent. Whether this right 
is claimed by the state, cr by ecclesiastical 
bodies, it seems to me to be entirely at va- 
riance with the spirit of Christian liberty. 

Mother. Yes ; and it opens a wide door 
for the introduction of bad men, by a sys- 
tem of favoritism and corruption. Hu- 
man nature, in its best state, is not fit to 



THE CHURCHES. 33 

be tasted with power which is capable of 
beinj so easily perverted to selfish ends. 

Sanuel. But there is another principle 
invoved in this proceeding, which I think 
will not be admitted among us. These 
superintendents were nothing less than 
bis fops, under another name. It was ad- 
mittng the principle that there are differ- 
ent grades in the office of the Christian 
minstry ; for which. I can find no authority 
in tie Bible. 

Mother. Yes : but after all, it was a 
grea improvement upon the old system. 
In addition to what has already been men- 
tioned, the visiters were also to see that 
schols were set up, in all the parishes, and 
prodded with competent teachers; to fix 
the salaries of the teachers, and make rules 
and regulations for the schools. 

Eizabeth. That was certainly a good 
thine, mother. You will allow that the 
government ought to support schools. 

Mother. Yes; it is the duty of every 
government to provide for the education of 



34 RELIGIOUS LIBERTY. 



the people: for that is essential to the wel- 
fare of the state. 

Elizabeth. But is not religion likewise 
essential to the welfare of the state? Why 
then should it not be supported by the 
government ? 

Mother. Religion is indeed essentia.! to 
the welfare of the state ; and it is no dcxubt 
the duty of the government to be guided in 
all its acts by religious principle : and to 
suppress all practices "which tend to con -up t 
the public morals, and destroy the fourida- 
tions of society. But religion is a metter 
between a man and his God, which cannot 
be controlled by human authority ; nor can 
it be interfered with, consistently with that 
freedom of conscience which is the birth- 
right of every man. Besides this, it does 
not need the support of the civil authority. 
It is spiritual. Its moving principle is the 
operation of Divine power on the human 
heart ; and this is sufficient of itself to en- 
sure its support. All it asks of the state is 
simple protection. But, with regard to 



PREVAILING IGNORANCE. 35 

education, the principle is different. The 
state may support schools for the education 
ex the young, without interfering with any 
nan's conscience: and they may even 
ompel the attendance of children, on the 
p-inciple of protecting the state from the 
dingers of ignorance. 

Elizabeth. Well, mother, what did the 
•visiters find the condition of the people to 
te? 

Mother. They found both the clergy 

anc the people very ignorant. Luther was 

so impressed with the subject, that, on his 

return, he sat down to write his catechisms 

for their use. Similar visitations were also 

instituted by other Lutheran princes. We 

have now held a long conversation, and 

we will leave the subject till to-morrow 

evening. In the meantime, I shall expect 

Sanuel and Elizabeth to study the portion 

<ji history next in order, so that they will 

be able to answer any questions that I 

shall ask them. 
3# 



36 



QUESTIONS. 

What was the last event mentioned in the previous vol- 
ume 1 At what time did the Elector Frederic die ? Wh: 
was his successor 1 What was the character of John? 
What course did he pursue, in regard to the Reformation? 
What effect had his proceedings on the Catholic princes ? 
What did the disposition of the Catholics to resort to forct 
lead to, on the part of the Reformers ? What was the re- 
sult of the Diet of Spire, in 1526 1 What effect had this on 
the Reformation ? Why were the Reformers permitted ;o 
enjoy this tranquility? How did they improve it ? What: 
measure was set on foot by the Elector John, for the im- 
provement of the churches and schools ? 



37 



CHAPTER II. 

Motives of the Emperor for wishing to suppress the Refor- 
mation — Second Diet of Spire — Origin of the term Pro- 
testants. 

Samuel. From the quarrel between the 
Emperor and the Pope, mentioned last eve- 
ning, I was expecting the Emperor would 
favor the Reformation; but I am very 
much disappointed to find him foremost 
among its opposers. How can you ac- 
count for this, mother? 

Mother. I have already remarked that 
Charles V. cared very little about religion. 
His motives were supremely selfish ; and 
his grand object was to exalt himself. 

Samuel. Still, I should think even such 
motives would lead him to oppose the 
Pope, who exalted himself above all kings 
and Emperors. 

Mother. But Charles would rather re- 
ceive his authority nominally from the 



38 MERCENARY MOTIVES 

Pope than not to have any; and this he 
could well afford to do. since he had the 
Pope in his own power, having taken him 
prisoner, and made him dependent on him- 
self. But the German princes were be- 
coming so independent that his authority 
over them was in danger of being little 
more than nominal, and he saw that the 
success of the Reformation, by uniting 
those princes more closely together, would 
greatly weaken his own authority. Dur- 
ing the three year's tranquility, enjoyed by 
the Reformers, under the resolutions of the 
last Diet at Spire, their cause had gained 
much ground. Most of the princes who 
had embraced Luther's opinions, had not 
only established that form of worship 
which he approved, but entirely suppress- 
ed the rites of the Romish church. Many 
of the free cities had imitated their exam- 
ple. Almost one half of Germany had 
openly revolted from the Pope ; and his 
authority was greatly weakened in the 
other states, by the secret progress of the 



OF THE EMPEROR. 39 

doctrines of the Reformation. The Em- 
peror was ambitious of obtaining absolute 
authority in Germany; and he now saw a 
favorable opportunity to employ a zeal for 
the established religion as a cloak for his 
designs. Such is the opinion of Dr. Rob- 
ertson, who wrote his history; though per- 
haps, we shall find some things which 
appear more favorable in his conduct here- 
after. It is certain, however, that he could 
have taken no more effectual method to 
weaken the power of the German princes, 
than by embroiling them in a war with 
one another, on account of religion. 

Elizabeth. I think he must have been 
a base, unprincipled man. I thought it 
was the duty of rulers to seek the good of 
the people. 

Mother. But we are not to look for 
moral principle among hereditary princes 
and great warriors. It may sometimes be 
found among them ; but it is not common, 
Such men are generally ready to sacrifice 
every thing to their own ambition : and the 



40 DIET OF SPIRE. 

good of the people over whom they are 
placed is rarely taken into the account. 
Instead of regarding themselves as appoint- 
ed to fill a higher office for the benefit of 
the people, they seem to take it for granted 
that the people are their inheritance, and 
that they have a right to dispose of them 
as they please, for their own gratification. 
If you will read the histories of the reign- 
ing monarchs of those times, you will be 
thoroughly disgusted with royalty: and I 
think, too, you will be sick of all ambition 
for political greatness. To be elevated to 
a high station is no evidence of true great- 
ness ; for may of the vilest characters have 
been raised to the highest dignities in the 
church and state. 

Peter. Well, mother, what did the Em- 
peror do ') 

Mother. As soon as a prospect opened 
for coming to an accommodation with the 
Pope, he appointed another Diet to be held 
at Spire, on the fifteenth of March, 1529, 
to take into consideration the state of reli- 



DIET OF SPIRE. 41 

gion. Samuel, can you tell what was the 
decision of this Diet ? 

Samuel. Yes, mother, the resolution of 
the Diet held at the same place in 1526, by 
which each prince was permitted to regu- 
late the affairs of religion in his own do- 
minions, was passed unanimously. But 
at this Diet, a decree passed by a majority 
of votes, by which the decrees of the form- 
er Diet were revoked, and all changes in 
the public religion were forbidden until the 
decision of a general council could be ob- 
tained. 

Elizabeth. I think this decision must 
have been very oppressive to the Reform- 
ers, after they had abolished the rites of 
the church of Rome, and made new regu- 
lations in their churches. 

Mother. Yes, and it appeared grievous 
and insupportable to the Elector of Saxony, 
the Landgrave of Hesse, and the other sup- 
porters of the Reformation ; for they knew 
there was little hope of ever obtaining a free 
council from the Pope ; and to be forbidden 



42 THE PROTEST. 

to make any changes till that time, was, in 
effect, to be forbidden to make any at all. 

Peter. Well ; I think I should not have 
obeyed such a decree, mother. 

Mother. They endeavored to convince 
Ferdinand, the Emperor's brother, who 
presided at the Diet, and the Catholic 
princes, of the injustice of this proceeding. 
But, as these were guided by the Pope's 
legate, they found all their remonstrances 
in vain. So they drew up a formal Pro- 
test against the decree, which they present- 
ed to the Diet, appealing to the Emperor^ 
to a future council, and to every impartial 
judge ; on the ground that a majority of 
votes in the Diet could not decide a reli- 
gious question. They appealed to the 
Emperor, not as recognizing him as their 
judge in matters of religion, but only that 
he might allow their appeal to a council. 
They appealed to a council, because, ac- 
cording to the laws of Germany, religious 
controversies are not to be decided by the 
decrees of a Diet, but by a national coun- 



THE PROTESTANTS. 43 

cil. This Protest was signed by John, 
Elector of Saxony ; George, Marquis of 
Brandenburgh ; Philip, Landgrave of 
Hesse; Ernest and Francis, Dukes of 
LiWieburg ; Wolfgang, Prince of Anhalt ; 
and the Deputies or representatives of 
Strasburg, Uhn, Nuremburg, Constance, 
Reutlingen, Windsheim, Memmingen, 
Lindaii, Kempten, Heilbron, Isny, Weis- 
senburg, Nordlingen. and St. Gall. 

Caroline. 0. these are long hard names. 
I can never remember half of them. 

Mother. I know they appear formida- 
ble ; but I have mentioned them that you 
might know what places had embraced the 
Reformed religion. You may get your 
map, at your leisure, and find all these 
places ; and then you will be able to judge 
of the extent of the Reformation at this 
time. 

Samuel. We shall now have a name 
for the Reformers ; for after this, they are 
called Protestants, on account of their Pro- 
test against the decree of the Diet. 



44 AN ARBITRARY PROCEEDING. 

Mother, Yes; and this name was soon 
extended so as to embrace all, in every 
place, who refuse to acknowledge the Su- 
premacy of the Pope.^ 

Peter. But what did the Emperor do, 
mother, when they appealed to him ? 

Mother. The Emperor was then in 
Italy, where he had just been renewing 
his friendship with the Pope. 1 Of course, 
he was in no very favorable mood for re- 
ceiving their appeal. However, the Pro- 
testant princes sent persons to him, to in- 
form him of the stand they had taken. 
But the Emperor was very angry, and 
put the envoys of the Protestants in prison, 
where he kept them several days. 

Samuel. I think it was very mean to 
put men in prison, who only came with a 
message to him. I should think, too, it 
was contrary to the laws of nations. 

Mother. These men were the represent- 
atives of the Protestant states; and his 
treatment of them was intended to show 

* See, Great Apostacy, pp. 51 — 54. 



PROTESTANT CONVENTIONS. 45 

his displeasure against those who sent 
them. But it was a very arbitrary and 
unjustifiable proceeding. However, it had 
this good effect, that it showed the Protest- 
ants at once, what they had reason to ex- 
pect ; and led them to consult together for 
their own protection. For this purpose, 
they held several conventions at Rothach, 
Schwabaeh, Nuremberg, Smalkald, and 
other places : but nothing definite was 
agreed upon at this time, owing to the diver- 
sity of views that prevailed among them. 

Elizabeth. Under such circumstances. 
I should think they would have been all 
united, mother. 

Mother. They were all united in op- 
posing the errors and corruptions of the 
church of Rome, in general. But they did 
not all see alike in regard to every thing ; 
and they were very zealous and conscien- 
tious in maintaining what they supposed 
to be the truth : so that it was difficult for 
them cordially to unite, while they differed 
in matters of small moment. But the prin- 



46 DIVISION AMONG 

cipal diffically arose from the disagreement 
between the German and Swiss reformers, 
respecting the Lord's Supper. You know 
the Papists hold that the bread and wine is 
changed into the real body and blood of 
Christ.^ Luther rejected this absurd no- 
tion ; but adopted a sentiment no less con- 
trary to common sense : that the body and 
blood of Christ are literally present with 
the bread and wine. Zuinglius and (Eco- 
lampadius, the leaders of the Swiss refor- 
mation, rejected this notion, also, and held 
that the bread and wine were only signifi- 
cations or emblems of the body and blood of 
Christ, which is the true doctrine. A 
spirited contest arose on this question, into 
which Luther very unreasonbly carried 
all the severity with which he had prose- 
cuted his controversy w T ith the Papists. 
Philip, Landgrave of Hesse, being anxious 
to effect a union of the two parties, appoint- 
ed a conference between Luther and Zuin- 
glius, and some other principal divines on 

*See Great Apostacy ; p. 138. 



THE PROTESTANTS. 47 

both sides. They met at Marpurg, in 
1529. Luther and Melancthon on one 

side, andZuinglius and (Ecolampadius, on 
the other, were the principal speakers. 
They disputed four days; but on the sub- 
ject of the Lord's supper, they could not 
convince each other; though they were 
found to agree on most other points. 

Samuel. I should think they might 
have exercised a little forbearance, on a 
point which did not effect fundamental 
truth, and still treated each other as breth- 
ren; especially at a time when union was 
so important to the Protestant cause. 

Mother. Here we discover the spirit of 
the age. Though men began to claim 
toleration for themselves, yet they had not 
learned that others have an equal claim to 
judge for themselves. They erred also, in 
making every difference of sentiment a 
bar to Christian fellowship. So long as 
men hold to the great truths which lie at 
the foundation of the Christian faith, we 
ought to meet them as Christian brethren. 
4# 



48 QUESTIONS. 

Another error, not peculiar to those 
times, was the bitterness with which these 
religious disputes were carried on. Dis- 
cussion, if managed in a proper spirit, is 
profitable. It tends to the increase of 
knowledge, and the discovery of truth. 
But, if it degenerates into angry disputes 
and personal quarrels, it is both unprofita- 
ble, and disgraceful to religion. But, it is 
possible to maintain discussion in a kind, 
Christian spirit. 

QUESTIONS. 

Why did the Emperor wish to suppress the Reforma- 
tion ? What progress had the Reformation made, during 
the three year's tranquility after the first Diet of Spire ? 
What did the Emperor do, as soon as an opportunity offer- 
ed for an accommodation with the Pope ? What was the 
decision of the second Diet of Spire ? How was this de- 
cision received, by those who had embraced the Reforma- 
tion ? What did they do ? How many princes and depu- 
ties signed this protest ? What were the Reformers call- 
ed, after this ? How were their envoys treated by the Em- 
peror ? What did this lead to, on the part of the Protest- 
ant princes? What hindered their union, at this time? 
In what spirit was the controversy between the German 
and Swiss Reformers carried on ? 



49 



CHAPTER III. 

Sentiments respecting the convocation of a General Coun- 
cil. — Preliminaries of the Diet of Augsburg. 

Elizabeth. At the close of our last con- 
versation, mother, we left affairs in a very 
lowering state, as though a dreadful storm 
was ready to burst upon Europe, carrying 
civil war wherever the Reformation had 
made any progress. 

Mother. Yes : and the eyes of all, ex- 
cept the Pope, were turned to a general 
council, as the only means of reconciling 
the conflicting views on the subject of reli- 
gion. Samuel, can you tell the various 
motives which led the different parties to 
desire a council 2 

Samuel. The Reformers had exposed so 
many of the errors and corruptions of the 
church of Rome, that a very general de- 
sire for the reformation of abuses existed 



50 DESIRE FOR A COUNCIL. 

even among the moderate portion of those 
who wished to maintain the old order of 
things ; and probably nearly all bat the 
Pope himself and the monastic orders^ de- 
sired this; for the secular clergyf and 
princes all groaned under the oppressions 
of the church of Rome. The Reformers 
acted prudently in appealing to a general 
council ; although they had very little to 
expect from such an assembly. But, the 
truth always gains ground by discussion. 
The princes and the people generally felt 
the necessity of something being done, 
which a general council only seemed prop- 
erly authorized to do. But the Pope and 
those directly under his influence, were de- 
cidedly opposed to calling a council. The 
Emperor and the Pope spent several months 
at Bologna, during which they were very 
intimate, and held many consultations as 
to the best means of extirpating, or rooting 
out, the heresies which had sprung up in 
Germany. Clement, used every argument 

*See Great Apostacy, pp. 97—100. f lb. p. 97. 



THE POPE'S OPINION. 51 

he could to persuade the Emperor not to 
consent to the measure. He said general 
councils were factions, ungovernable, pre- 
sumptuous, and formidable to civil author- 
ity ; and too slow in their operation to 
remedy disorders which required immedi- 
ate cure. He said, experience had taught 
them that forbearance only made the here- 
tics more enterprising and presumptuous ; 
and he thought the best way would be for 
the Emperor immediately to carry into ef- 
fect Leo's excommunication of Luther, 
and the Edict of Worms.* But Charles 
thought very differently from the Pope. 
He hoped to bring back the Protestants by 
means less violent; and considered a 
general council as a very proper measure 
to be adopted. However, he promised, if 
milder means should fail, to employ his 
power to force them to yield obedience to 
the Pope. But the Pope would not consent 
to call a council, except on terms which he 
knew would be rejected by the Protestants. 

* See "The Dawn/' 7 pp. 167. 247, 



52 GREAT EXCITEMENT. 

Mother. Very well. In this state of 
things, the ministers and churches which 
embraced the doctrines of Luther were pre- 
paring a new embassy to the Emperor, 
when they learned that he was coming 
into Germany, and that he intended to ex- 
amine and decide the controversies respect- 
ing religion, at the Diet to be held at Augs- 
burg. Caroline, you may find Augsburg, 
on the map. 

Caroline. Yes, I have found it. It is 
in Bavaria, where two rivers meet. 

Elizabeth. The place where two rivers 
meet, is called the junction. Augsburg is 
is at the juction of the rivers Lech and 
Wertach, which form a branch of the 
Danube. 

Mother. After treating the Protestant's 
envoys so roughly, Charles had learned 
the opinions of wise men respecting the state 
of things in Germany ; and on his way, he 
discovered that the minds of the people 
were highly excited in regard to the sub- 
jects of controversy. His feelings, there- 



i 



DIET OF AUGSBURG. 53 

fore, were somewhat softened towards the 
Protestants, and he became satisfied that 
severe measures ought not to be taken 
against them till other means had failed. 
Samuel, what account can you give of the 
principal men, on both sides, who took 
part in the Diet of Augsburg? 

Samuel. On the side of the Papists 
were the Emperor, Charles V : his brother 
Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria and king 
of Hungary and Bohemia ; Campeggio, the 
Pope's legate; Joachim, Elector of Bran- 
denburg; George, Duke of Saxony; Henry, 
Duke of Brunswick ; the Cardinal Arch- 
bishop and Elector of Mentz : the Cardinal 
Archbishop of Salzburgh ; the Bishop of 
Augsburg; and Cheregate and Pimpinello, 
two Papal nuncios. Henry, Duke of 
Brunswick was rather moderate, and the 
Bishop of Augsburg was more favorable 
to the Protestants than any of the rest. 

Elizabeth. I will tell the Protestants. 
Here was John, elector of Saxony, who 
was surnamed the Constant : and he de- 



54 DIET OF AUGSBURG. 

served this name, for his constant zeal in 
supporting the Protestant cause. He was 
on the ground the first of May ; though it 
was doubted whether the Protestant prin- 
ces would be safe at Augsburg — besides 
him, there were Philip, Landgrave of 
Hesse; George, Marquis of Brandenburg 
Anspach; Ernest and Francis, Dukes of 
Luneburgh ; Wolfgang, Prince of Anhalt ; 
Albert, Count Mansfield ; and Count Philip, 
of Hanover ; with the deputies of several 
imperial cities. 

Caroline. O, I am sick of these hard 
names. If I could remember them, I could 
not speak them. 

Mother. On an ordinary subject, I would 
not think it worth while to repeat them. 
But we are now upon a very important 
period in the Reformation ; and though it 
may be somewhat tedious, it is necessary 
to know who were the actors ; especially 
as they will figure in the remainder of the 
history. Each party also brought with 
them some learned divines, whose assist- 



DIET OF AUGSBURG. 55 

ance they might need, in the discussion of 
religious matters. Among the Papists 
were Faber, Eckius, Cochlaeus, and de 
Wimpina ; and among the Protestants, the 
chief were Melancthon, Justus Jonas, Spa- 
latinus, Snepfius, and xigricola. Bucer, 
Hedio, and Capito, also attended from 
Strasburg ; but they were rather favorable 
to the views of the Swiss reformers. 

Peter. Where was Luther, mother? I 
should think he would have been there. 

Mother. The Elector of Saxony took 
Luther as far as Coburg ; but, I suppose 
he was afraid to trust him at Augsburg, or 
else he was unwilling to offend the Em- 
peror by bringing into his presence a man 
who had been excommunicated by the 
Pope and condemned by the Edict of 
Worms. ^ — Peter, look on your map, and 
see if you can find Inspruck, and tell what 
distance it is from Augsburg. 

Peter. Yes, mother. It is on the River 

* See "The Dawn," SfC— p. 169 5 and " Great Aposta- 
cy," p. 2 Jo. 

5 



56 MEANNESS. 

Inn, in Tyrol. It is, I should think, about 
one hundred miles from Augsburg, a little 
East of South. 

Mother. Several of the Electors and 
princes met the Emperor there, on his way 
to Augsburg; and some of them tried very 
hard to fill his mind with prejudices and 
suspicions against the Elector of Saxony. 

Peter. That was very mean, I think. 

Samuel. I think it shows that they 
were afraid of the truth. 

Mother. To endeavor to injure any one 
by such means, is an evidence of a little 
and mean spirit. A noble and generous 
soul, would scorn to employ such artifices 
to accomplish any object. But in those 
times, almost any thing was considered 
justifiable if done for the good of the church. 
Accompanied by these persons, his brother 
Ferdinand, Campeggio, the Pope's legate, 
and the Ambassadors of France, England, 
and Portugal, the Emperor proceeded to 
Augsburg, and was met by all the other 
princes and nobles a short distance from 



THE POMP OF ROYALTY. 57 

the city. He entered Augsburg, on the 
fifteenth of June, with a pompous proces- 
sion, amid the firing of cannon, the ringing 
of bells, the sounding of trumpets, and the 
beating of drums: and proceeded to the 
cathedral, where the pomp was closed with 
the singing of hymns, and the legate's 
benediction. 

Peter. O, it's a glorious thing to be an 
Emperor ! 

Mother. Not so glorious as you suppose, 
my son. There is much, indeed, in the 
pomp of royalty to please the human heart, 
which is naturally full of pride and vanity ; 
but there is nothing to give quietness and 
peace. Men in such stations are a constant 
prey to a variety of restless passions. The 
more ambition is gratified, the more it 
craves; and the higher a man is raised, 
the more he is exposed to the envy and 
hatred of others: so that, if his heart is un- 
renewed, he is perpetually harassed with 
suspicion, fear, anger, and ungratified 
desire. And, if his heart is under the 



58 A CONTExMTED MIND. 

influence of christian principles, he feels 
the weight of his responsibility to be in- 
supportable. 

Samuel I am sure I should not look 
for happiness to such places. Cheerfulness 
and contentment will make us happy any 
where; but without them, we should be 
miserable, even in palaces, where we might 
have every wish gratified. 

Mother, Yes ; that is the secret of true 
happiness. Paul says, "I have learned in 
whatever situation I am, therewith to be 
content." With such a state of mind, we 
may be happy any where. Without it, 
we can be happy no where. If you would 
be happy, Peter, 3^011 must suppress the 
first risings of ambition, and make it your 
first business to serve God ; and then, ac- 
cording to his promise, he will give you 
every thing else you need. 

Caroline. Come, mother, if you please, 
I want to hear the story. 

Mother. Ah, my daughter, you must 
listen patiently to instruction. I wish you 



PAPAL ARROGANCE. 59 

to learn to think. When the princes met the 
Emperor, a circumstance occurred which 
shows the haughty spirit of the Popish 
clergy, and likewise the spirit of the Protest- 
ants. The Emperor and his brother dis- 
mounted, and received the princes in the 
most gracious manner : but the legate and 
cardinals, to show their superiority over 
princes, sat still on their mules. 

Samuel That was very haughty in- 
deed. Do you think that the most likely 
way to maintain authority, mother ? 

Mother. Not generally, my son. But 
it has ever been the policy of the church of 
Rome, to force an acknowledgment of her 
authority wherever she could : and where 
that could not be obtained, to secure at 
least the appearance of it ; and this served 
her purpose well, for the habit of always 
seeing homage rendered to the Holy See, 
greatly increased the superstitious venera- 
tion of the people, for her authority.* In 

# See " Great Apostacy," p. 70. 

5* 



60 PAPAL ARROGANCE. 

pursuance of this policy, the pope's legate 
took this opportunity of pronouncing his 
benediction, in order to have the authority 
of the Pope acknowledged. The Emperor 
and the Catholic princes humbly knelt 
down to receive it; bat the Protestants, 
not caring for the Pope's blessing, remain- 
ed standing. 

Peter. I like that, mother. I would 
not kneel to the Pope. 

Mother. In the cathedral, also, the pride 
of power was again displayed by the le- 
gate. The cardinal of Salzburg came for- 
ward to pronounce the benediction ; but 
the legate was angry, and thrust him back 
indignantly, choosing to perform that office 
himself. 

Samuel. I do not understand how men 
in their senses could submit to such tyran- 
ny. 

Mother. It is a curious fact, that men 
will submit to the most degrading servility, 
for the sake of exercising tyranny over 
others. There is no class of men, who are 



POPISH CRAFT. 61 

more servile in their spirit and condition, 
than the Romish clergy ; and yet, they are 
strongly attached to the church that en- 
slaves them, for it gives them an opportu- 
nity to lord it over others. However, a 
superstitious veneration for Popish au- 
thority has no small share in producing 
this state of feeling. 

Elizabeth. But I admire the spirit of the 
Protestant princes, mother. 

Mother. Yes ; but their firmness was 
soon put to a severer test. The day after 
the entrance of the Emperor into the city, 
was the festival of Corpus Christi, or the 
Holy Sacrament,^ when a grand proces- 
sion of the Host was to take place. The 
time appears to have been arranged with 
reference to this festival, by the influence 
of the legate, probably for the purpose of 
entrapping the Protestants. 

Elizabeth. How could they entrap them 
by this means, mother ? 

* See " Great Apostacy," p. 139. 



62 PROTESTANT 

Mother. It was a crafty design, to place 
them in a situation in which they must 
either disobey the Emperor, or surrender 
their principles. Late in the evening, after 
all the rest had retired, the Emperor sent 
for the Protestant princes, and desired 
them to attend him in the procession the 
following day. At the same time, the 
Catholic princes were left at liberty either 
to attend or not, as they pleased. 

Samuel. That was a singular proceed- 
ing, indeed. I think they had not much 
to expect from an assembly convened un- 
der such circumstances to consider their 
affairs. I hope they did. not consent to 
such a proposal. 

Mother. They were prepared for it, 
having expected something of the kind. 
In behalf of the Protestant princes, George, 
Marquis of Brandenburg, promptly replied 
that it was contrary to their consciences to 
comply with the Emperor's wishes. Hav- 
ing received a sharp answer from Ferdi- 
nand, he placed his hand on his neck, and 



FIRMNESS. 63 

said, u Rather would I instantly kneel 
down, and in the Emperor's presence, sub- 
mit my neck to the executioner, than prove 
unfaithful to God, and receive or sanction 
anti-christian error." 

Peter. That was noble, just like the 
martyrs. I wonder how the Emperor re- 
ceived it. 

Mother. Charles mildly observed, " That 
there was no intention to take any man's 
life." The matter was then deferred till 
morning. But the Emperor was so bent 
upon his purpose, that he sent again to the 
Elector that night. But he excused him- 
self, as requiring rest. In the morning the 
Emperor's demands and entreaties were re- 
newed with increased earnestness ; but the 
Protestants remained firm and true to their 
principles. This discussion was carried on 
so long that the procession was delayed 
some hours beyond the time appointed. 
The Marquis of Brandenburg, after re- 
counting his own services and those of his 
family, implored the Emperor not to listen 



64 CHRISTIAN BOLDNESS. 

to the calumnies raised against him. " In 
the present case," said he, "which per- 
tains to God, I am compelled by an immu- 
table divine command, to resist all imposi- 
tions of this kind, whatever may be the 
consequence ; since it is written, We ought 
to obey God rather than rn>an. For the 
confession, therefore, of the doctrines which 
I know to be the word of Christ, and eter- 
nal truth, I decline no danger, not even 
that of life itself, which, I hear, is threat- 
ened by some." 

Elizabeth. That reminds me of the 
apostles before the Jewish council. How 
much superior was such a spirit, to the 
mean jealousies, and unprincipled intrigues 
of most of the princes of that day. 

Mother. Yes ; and it verifies the saying 
of Solomon, " The righteous are as bold as 
a lion." All the efforts to prevail on the 
Protestant princes to attend, having proved 
fruitless, the procession proceeded without 
them, and as usual with the Papists, it was 
celebrated with great pomp. But the le- 



ANOTHER PLOT. 65 

gate, who was greatly offended with the 
" contumacy" of the Protestants, as he call- 
ed it, contrived another plan, from which he 
thought they could not escape. The Em- 
peror was to attend mass^ before he open- 
ed the Diet. So Campeggio prevailed on 
the Emperor to require the Elector of Saxo- 
ny, by virtue of his office as marshal of 
the kingdom, to carry the sword before 
him, and attend at the mass. Thus he 
supposed the Elector would be compelled 
to assist at Popish ceremonies. 

Elizabeth. How did the Elector escape 
this trap, mother ? 

Mother. The case was submitted to the 
Protestant divines ; and they concluded 
that it was very different from that of 
the procession. There, the princes had 
no official duty to perform ; and if they 
had attended, they would have engaged in 
an idolatrous ceremony. But, now, the 
Elector was called upon to discharge a civil 

* See " Great Apostacy," p. 142. 



66 PREACHING. 

office, and not a religious duty. Besides, 
the mass, being the celebration of the 
Lord's Supper, was a good thing in itself, 
and evil only as it was abused by the Pa- 
pists for idolatrous purposes. They there- 
fore concluded that the Elector might law- 
fully attend, which he did, accompanied 
by the Marquis of Brandenburg. 

Samuel I find one fact here, that 
shows how completely the most solemn 
services of the Romish church had lost 
their spirituality. Pimpinello, one of the 
Pope's nuncios, made a Latin oration at 
this mass, which contained not a single 
word of any thing spiritual or religious; 
but was made up of abuse of the German 
princes, and exhortations to war against 
the Turks. 

Mother. But, it was very different with 
the Protestants. Their ministers preached 
frequently in the churches, both on their 
way and after they arrived at Augsburg, 
for the edification and instruction of the 
people. 



PREACHING. 67 

Elizabeth. From the prevailing spirit 
of the Catholics at Augsburg, I should not 
think they would have allowed this. 

Mother. The Emperor was not pleased 
with it ; and before he left Inspruck, he 
forbade it. 

Peter. Did they obey, mother 1 "Was 
not this like the case of the apostles, who 
were forbidden to preach at Jerusalem, 
when they said it was better to obey God 
than man ? 

Mother. It appears very much like it, 
my son ; but the matter was considered 
beforehand, and decided in favor of sub- 
mission. Melancthon thought the Emperor 
ought to be obeyed, especially as the Elector 
had no jurisdiction in Augsburg ; and Lu- 
ther was decidedly in favor of yielding this 
point, if they could not prevail by entrea- 
ties. " We ought," said he, " patiently to 
bear unjust treatment : we have done our 
duty, and have no more to answer for." 
The question does not appear so clear to 
me. However, it must turn on this point, 
6 



68 PREACHING. 

whether the command to preach, in this 
case, was as positive as in the case of the 
apostles. The princes, however, were more 
tenacious than the divines ; and notwith- 
standing the Emperor's commands, the 
preaching was not discontinued till several 
days after his arrival ; and then only by 
compromise, the Emperor engaging to im- 
pose silence on the Catholics, and appoint 
such preachers as all might hear without 
offence to their consciences. 

Samuel. After all, I do not feel quite 
satisfied, that ministers of Jesus Christ 
should shut their mouths in obedience to 
the rulers of this world. 

Mother. Perhaps we are not qualified 
to judge of the propriety of their conduct. 
The question was anxiously and earnestly 
considered, by the wisest and best men of 
the age ; and at the least, we must award 
them honesty of intention, and a willing- 
ness to walk in the path of duty, whenever 
it was made known to them. What other 
remarkable facts can you mention, previ- 
ous to the sitting of the Diet ? 



EMPEROR'S DEVOTION. 69 

Elizabeth. The Emperor appears to 
have been remarkably devotional for a 
man of his character. It is said that he 
was in the habit of spending an hour every 
morning in private devotion ; and that, the 
day before the opening of the Diet, being 
the Sabbath, he employed two hours in 
this manner. 

Mother. His general character, how- 
ever, forbids the idea that these devotions 
were truly spiritual. And all who have 
any knowledge of the manner in which the 
devotions of the Papists are conducted, 
will know how to appreciate it. They 
have long and tedious forms of prayer, 
which, for the most part consist of vain 
repetitions, and senseless appeals to the 
Virgin Mary and patron saints. A person 
might very easily employ two hours in re- 
peating such mummery, without offering 
up one sincere prayer to God. However, 
few of the Catholics exhibited the same 
appearance of piety as the Emperor. Some 
of the principal Catholic clergy were shame- 



70 PIETY OF THE ELECTOR. 

fully indecent in their behavior, openly 
walking with lewd women, and spending 
their time at dice and other plays. But 
here and there one made prayers for the 
success of the important business for which 
they were assembled. 

Samuel It was very different, mother, 
with the Protestants, if we may judge by 
the conduct of the Elector of Saxony. 
After hearing the opening speech in the 
Diet, he called together his associates, the 
friends of the Reformation, and exhorted 
them to be faithful to the cause of God and 
religion ; and the next morning, having 
ordered all his attendants to retire, poured 
forth most fervent supplications to God for 
the success of the great business in hand ; 
and then wrote some pious reflections for 
his own edification. 

QUESTIONS. 

What were the prevailing sentiments respecting the call- 
ing of a general council, at the time embraced in this chap- 
ter ? How was it viewed by the moderate Catholics ? 



QUESTIONS. 71 

How by the Protestants? What were the wishes of the 
Emperor respecting it ? How was the proposition treated 
by the Pope? What advice did he give the Emperor? 
What were the Emperor's views as to resorting immediately 
to force for suppressing the Reformation ? What unfair 
means were employed'by the Catholics with the Emperor 
at Inspruck ? What measures did the Pope's legate em- 
ploy to entrap the Protestants at Augsburg ? How were 
these artifices met by the Protestants ? What regulations 
were made respecting preaching? With what views did 
the Protestants submit to them ? What were the devo- 
tional habits of the Emperor ? What was the conduct of 
the Catholic clergy ? What is related of the Elector of 
Saxony ? 



6* 



72 



CHAPTER IV. 

Opening of the Diet. Reading of the Confession of the 
Protestants. 

Peter. Mother, I want to hear about the 
Diet of Augsburg. You told us about the 
calling of the Diet, and who was there, and 
how they entered the city. But I want to 
hear about the Diet. 

Mother. Well, the Diet was opened on 
the 20th of June, 1630, with a long speech 
from the Emperor, urging vigorous meas- 
ures against the Turks, who had invaded 
the Empire, and inviting the attention of 
the princes and states, to the unhappy re- 
ligious differences in Germany ; and it was 
agreed that the subject of religion should be 
taken up first. Accordingly, on the twenty- 
second of June, the Emperor gave notice 
to the Elector of Saxony and his friends, 
that, at the next session, they should pre- 



RELIGIOUS DISCUSSION. 73 

sent a summary of their faith, and an ac- 
count of the reformation of abuses which 
they demanded. 

Samuel. I think that was not fair ; for, 
if I remember right, according to the letters 
of the Emperor, by which the Diet was 
called, there was to have been " A friendly 
discussion, and charitable settlement of 
the points in dispute." 5 Both parties, then 
should have been treated alike. 

Mother. Yes ; but Ave are not to look 
for fairness from the party in power, to- 
wards the weaker party. Besides, it would 
have been troublesome and perilous for the 
Catholics, to have made a public statement 
of their faith. The Protestants, being the 
innovators, were therefore only called upon. 

Elizabeth. The Protestants, I suppose, 
had nothing to fear from a public examina- 
tion of their faith. 

Mother. No, they were prepared for it. 
They had a confession of their faith 
already drawn up. Luther had written 
seventeen articles, at the command of the 



74 " RELIGIOUS DISCUSSION. 

Elector, which were presented to him at a 
meeting of some of the friends of the Re- 
formation, held at Torgou in March. 
These were afterwards written over by 
Melancthon, who was a more polished 
writer than Luther. 

Peter. This would give them a good 
chance, I should think, to preach to the 
Catholics. 

Mother. They were aware of this, and 
made their arrangements to prevent the 
reading of the confession. The business 
of the Diet did not commence till four 
o'clock in the afternoon ; and then much 
time was taken up by the Pope's legate, in 
presenting his credentials, which he ac- 
companied with a long Latin oration, to 
which the Elector of Mentz replied, in be- 
half of the Emperor ; assuring him that 
both the Emperor and the states would dis- 
charge their duty in a manner that should 
be approved of God, the Pope, and all men. 
After this, the Austrian ambassadors were 
heard representing the danger to which 



CONFESSION PRESENTED. 75 

their part of the empire was exposed from 
the Turks, and entreating that proper 
measures might be adopted for its safety. 

Samuel. I should think, when a day 
was appointed to hear the confession, they 
ought to have made that the first busi- 
ness. 

Mother. But, you will perceive, in all 
the proceedings of this Diet, that the dis- 
position of the Catholics was not to treat 
the Protestants as men having rights, but 
as offenders. It is always an evidence of 
a weak cause, to shun investigation. This, 
however, was not the case with the Pro- 
testants ; they were anxious for investiga- 
tion ; but the Catholics wished to have the 
confession passed over with as little notice 
as possible. But, at length, the Protest- 
ants were called upon ; the Elector of 
Saxony, by his exchancellor Pontanus, a 
man of great piety, eloquence, and experi- 
ence in public affairs presented the con- 
fession, and asked for the reading of it, that 
their real doctrine and observances might 
be known. 



76 THE HEARING DENIED. 

Elizabeth. I am sure the Diet could 
not refuse so reasonable a request. 

Mother. They were capable of doing 
any thing that was ungenerous and un- 
fair. It seems the Emperor had already 
determined to condemn them unheard ; and 
the calling for a statement of their doctrines 
was a mere matter of form. He accord- 
ingly refused to have itread, and ordered the 
papers to be delivered to him, promising to 
hear them the next day in private. 

Peter. I hope the German princes did 
not submit to that. 

Mother. No ; they earnestly objected to 
it, and demanded a hearing in full Diet. 
They said it was a matter which con- 
cerned their reputation, their fortunes, their 
lives, and even the salvation of their souls. 
As the Emperor condescended to hear infe- 
rior persons, in regard to malters much less 
important, they thought such an indulgence 
might reasonably be expected by them. 

Samuel. I should think so too. The 
Emperor ought to have been ashamed of 



THE HEARING DENIED. 77 

himself to treat the princes of the empire 
in such a manner. 

Mother. Yes ; especially as he was in- 
debted to the Elector of Saxony for his 
throne. But there are some persons so 
selfish that they cannot bear to be under 
obligation to any one ; and you cannot take 
any surer course to make them your ene- 
mies, than to do them a kindness. 

Elizabeth. I hope they did not give up 
their papers to the Emperor. I do not 
think he deserved to be trusted. 

Mother. No ; they begged to be allowed 
to keep them in their own hands till they 
could be heard ; and the Emperor at length 
agreed to allow them to retain the papers 
till the next day, and then to give them a 
public hearing in the hall of the palace, 
which would hold about two hundred per- 
sons. 

Samuel. Still, that was very unfair ; 
because the common people could not hear 
it. 

Mother. That was the very thing they 



78 HEADING OF THE CONFESSION. 

wished to prevent. Error is afraid of the 
light ; and when men have obtained power 
over others, by the influence of a wicked 
and erroneous system, there is nothing they 
dread as much as to have the truth come 
before the minds of the common people. 
The next day, the princes and dignitaries 
of the empire assembled in the hall of the 
palace ; but none but official persons were 
admitted. The Protestant princes antl de- 
puties came forward with their confession, 
in both the Latin and German languages. 
The Emperor wished to have the Latin 
copy read ; but the Elector of Saxony re- 
plied, "As we are in Germany, I trust 
your majesty will allow us to speak Ger- 
man." 

Samuel That was a spirited reply, 
mother. How did the Emperor receive it ? 

Mother. It would have been unpopular 
for him to refuse such a request, and he 
consented. Bayer then read the confession, 
in a voice so loud as to be heard in the 
court below. 



GOOD IMPRESSIONS. 79 

Elizabeth. So the Catholics were de- 
feated in their plans after all. 

Mother. Partially so; and Luther con- 
sidered it a triumph ; and on receiving the 
information, he wrote exultingly, "The 
word of God is not bound. No; if it is 
prohibited in pulpits, it shall be heard in 
the palaces of kings/' And it was, in- 
deed, a great triumph to have a paper read 
in public, which maintained the great prin- 
ciples of the Gospel, and openly condemned 
the errors of Popery. And, although the 
printing of it was forbidden, it was soon 
translated into most of the languages 
spoken in Europe, and manuscript copies 
of it sent to the different courts. 

Samuel. How were the members of the 
Diet affected by it ? I suppose they never 
heard such a sermon before. 

Mother. They listened to it with great 
attention. It confirmed some of them in 
the principles they had already embraced; 
it surprised others ; many who, before, had 
little idea of Luther's sentiments, were 
7 



80 THE 

now convinced of their innocence and de- 
lighted with their purity; and some de- 
clared they would not have missed hearing 
it for a great sum. 

Elizabeth. That was encouraging, in- 
deed, mother. 

Mother. Cardinal Langi, Archbishop of 
Salzburg, after hearing the confession, 
said, " that the reformation of the mass 
was becoming, the liberty of meats proper, 
and the demand to be disburdened of so 
many commands of men, just: but that 
a poor monk should reform all, was not to 
be endured.' 7 

Samuel Was that a Christian spirit, 
mother. I should think that a strange 
speech to be made by a minister of the 
gospel. 

Mother. It shows how much the clergy 
of the church of Rome were influenced by 
a selfish desire for preeminence ; and that 
while they professed to be wholly devoted 
to God, they were found giving way to the 
vile passions of envy and jealousy, being 



AMBITION. 81 

supremely devoted to their own personal 
aggrandizement. There is great danger of 
the same thing among us. When we enter 
the service of Christ, self should be left be- 
hind, and all personal ambition should be 
given up. Our only ambition should be to 
do all the good we can ; and we ought to 
rejoice as much when good is done by 
others, as if we did it ourselves. It is this 
vile ambition for preeminence that creates 
most of the difficulties and divisions in the 
church of Christ. The archbishop of Salz- 
burg would not have the world reformed 
by a poor monk. Let us be careful that 
we do not oppose a good object, because it 
is set on foot and supported by one who is 
poor or despised ; for the Lord often em- 
ploys the weakest instruments to accom- 
plish his purposes, that the glory may be 
his own. God did reform the world by 
the " poor monk,'' notwithstanding the re- 
monstrance of the bishop of Salzburg. 
The bishop of Augsburg, however, was 
differently affected. After hearing the 



82 ROMANISM MERCENARY. 

confession, he said, " What has been re- 
cited is true ; pure truth, we cannot deny 
it." 

Elizabeth, That sounds like a Chris- 
tian, mother. 

Mother. But, to show how exceedingly- 
mercenary and corrupt the Catholic clergy 
had become, I will mention a remark made 
by another person : Cornelius Scoper, the 
Emperor' s secretary said , th at if the Protest- 
ants had money, they might easily buy of 
the Italians what religion pleased them 
best ; but that, without gold, it was im- 
possible to make their's shine in the world. 

Peter. Buy religion ! Who ever heard 
of such a thing as buying religion ! 

Mother. He meant that they might ob- 
tain of the Pope, for money, the liberty to 
hold and profess what religions sentiments 
they pleased. 

Samuel. Can it be that men who pro- 
fessed such a regard for the truth, and such 
an abhorrence of error, that they would 
destroy men's lives by wholesale, to pre- 



ROMANISM MERCENARY. S3 

vent heresy, would allow men to be here- 
tics for money ! 

Mother. Yes, my son, they would allow 
men to commit any crime for money. 

Peter. Why did not the Protestants buy 
the privilege of professing their religion, 
mother? I should think that would have 
been the easiest way for them to enjoy 
peace and quiet. 

Mother. They could not do it con- 
scientiously. In the first place, i( would 
have been acknowledging the right of the 
Pope to L : rule over their consciences ; and 
then it would have been justifying the 
abominable system of selling indulgences ; 
which was one of the abuses against which 
Luther had most earnestly remonstrated. 
But, another circumstance occurred which 
shows how deep the impression was upon 
the mind of the bishop of Augsburg in 
favor of evangelical truth. Some time 
afterwards, at a conference held for the 
purpose of bringing the two parties to a 
reconciliation, after much dispute, this 



84 A SERIOUS ADDRESS. 

bishop rose, and in a pious and solemn ad- 
dress, entreated the princes and prelates " to 
guard against determining any thing con- 
trary to justice and the word of God ; for 
the Lutherans had opposed no one article 
of the Christian faith ; and it became all 
who feared God and loved peace, to con- 
sider by what means the ancient tranquility 
might be restored and preserved." 

Samuel I should think they would 
have suspected him of heresy, mother. 

Mother, The Archbishop of Salzburg 
replied to him, in a strain of ridicule, and 
said, " Whence comes this sudden change, 
and this unexpected sancity of yours — for 
I distinctly remember to have heard other 
sentiments and other feelings than these 
expressed by you concerning religion." 

Samuel. That is the way I have heard 
young people answer their companions 
who had become religious, when they were 
entreating them to attend to the concerns 
of their souls. 

Mother. Well, the answer of the bishop 



A GOOD ANSWER. 85 

of Augsburg will furnish a very good ex- 
ample for young people who have become 
pious to follow, when reproached with their 
former sinful course : i: I do not deny," 
said he, "that in the course of my life 
hitherto, I have done many things worthy 
of censure, and contrary to piety : but 
present circumstances imperatively demand 
of me to renounce ungodliness and the al- 
lurements of sin, and to commence a new 
life." 

QUESTIONS. 

When and how was the Diet of Augsburg opened ? What 
subjects were brought forward by the Emperor in his speech ? 
Which was taken up first 1 What notice did the Emperor 
give to the Protestants ? What unfairness was there in this 
proceeding 1 How were the Protestants prepared for it ? 
What measures were taken to prevent the public reading 
of the confession. How was the refusal of the Emperor to 
hear it ; met by the Protestants ? What was the result ? 
What effects were produced by the reading of the confes- 
sion 1 What remark was made by the Archbishop of Salz- 
burg ? What, by the Emperor's Secretary ? What does 
this show, in regard to the character of the Romish clergy ? 
What remarks were made by the bishop of Augsburg ? 
What does that show in regard to the power of evangelical 
truths 1 What was the reply of the Archbishop of Salz- 
burg to the bishop of Augsburg ? What does that show in 
regard to the itate of his heart ? 



86 



CHAPTER V. 

The Confession of Augsburg. 

Peter. Mother, you have not told us 
what was in the confession of Augsburg. 
I should like to hear more about it; for I 
think it must be very interesting, or else 
the princes and nobles of Germany would 
not have listened to it with such attention. 

Mother. It contained such truth, my 
son, as is very familiar even to the children 
of our day; but it sounded strangely in 
the ears of these men, for many of them 
had never heard such doctrines preached 
before. The confession, as submitted to 
the Diet, was composed of twenty-eight 
articles, comprising the principal points of 
Christian Doctrine, with remonstrances 
against the abuses of the church of Rome. 
The first article treats of God and the Trin- 
ity, as generally held by orthodox Christ- 
ians. 



THE TRINITY. 87 

Caroline. I do not know what Trinity 
means, mother. Will you please to tell 
me? 

Mother. It means, when applied to God, 
that He has revealed himself, as the Father, 
Son, and Holy Ghost ; and yet these three 
are but one God, " the same in substance, 
equal in power and glory.' 5 

Peter. I don't understand it, mother. 

Mother. You cannot comprehend it, 
I know ; neither can any body ; but you 
may know the fact that it is so : because 
we find it clearly revealed in the Bible. 
The names and attributes of God are ap- 
applied indiscriminately to the Father, Son, 
and Holy Ghost ; and yet, it is repeatedly 
and distinctly declared in Scripture that 
there is but one God. Besides, the same 
thing may be one in some respects, and 
several, or many, in certain other respects ; 
as an army is one army, but is composed 
of many individuals ; or, which is a better 
illustration, a man has a soul and a body, 
or is twofold, in the mode of his being, 



88 ORIGINAL SIN. 

and yet he is one, and but one. However, 
it is enough for us to know that God has 
revealed himself as existing in three dis- 
tinct persons, and yet as being but one God, 
without inquiring how this can be. 

Peter. Well, mother, what was the 
second article of the Confession ? 

Mother. The second article relates to 
Original Sin; and that you may under- 
stand what was the doctrine of the Reform- 
ers, on this subject, I will read it in full, 
in their own language. " By Original Sin, 
we understand the guilt by which all men, 
on account of the fall of Adam, are, from 
their very birth, obnoxious to the wrath of 
God and eternal death ; and the corruption 
itself of human nature propagated from 
Adam, which corruption comprehends the 
want of original righteousness and concu- 
piscence. And this defect and this concu- 
piscence, are things condemned, and of 
their own nature deserving death. And 
this original corruption is truly sin ; still 
bringing with it condemnation and eternal 



THE TRUE DOCTRINE. S9 

death, to those who are not born again 
through baptism and the Holy Ghost.'* 9 

Samuel. What did they mean by guilt, 
mother. Did they mean that the crime of 
Adam's sin is charged on us, or that we 
are to blame for what he did? 

Mother. From what follows, it was 
evidently intended, 1 suppose, to include 
the idea of personal ill-desert. 

Elizabeth. Well, mother ; but do explain 
the doctrine as now understood. 

Mother. The doctrine generally held by 
orthodox Christians is, that Adam was put 
upon trial, as the head of his race; and 
that all his posterity are involved in the 
consequences of his transgression. 

Samuel. I have heard it said that such 
an arrangement would not be just ; but it 
seems to me that Adam was placed in as 
favorable circumstances as possible for the 
trial of his obedience. He was holy and 
happy. He had need of nothing. And 
he had set before him life and death, the 
strongest possible motives for obedience. 

* See Murdoch's Mosheim. Maltbv's New-Haven edition, 
1832. Vol. iii. d. 53. Note. 



90 THE SOCIAL RELATIONS. 

If each individual of the race had been 
placed in similar circumstances, I see no 
probability that they would have stood the 
trial any better than he did. 

Mother. No; we should have gained 
nothing by such an arrangement. But 
that is not all. I cannot see how it would 
be possible to establish the social relations 
of life, without having the different mem- 
bers of society in some measure involved 
in the consequences of one another's con- 
duct. But the second probation given us 
under the gospel is more favorable than 
that under which Adam was placed. The 
condition of his probation was perfect obe- 
dience ; and one act of transgression 
ruined him for ever. But, the condition of 
our probation is faith in Christ, by which 
we receive forgiveness for u many offences." 
At any rate, God appears to have dealt 
with Adam not for himself only, but for 
his whole race ; so that Adam's disobe- 
dience not only brought his posterity into 
circumstances unfavorable to their obedi- 



adam's sin. 91 

ence and happiness ; but actually placed 
them out of favor with God, in a state of 
sin and condemnation. This, the reformers 
considered as evident from various passa- 
ges of Scripture. The apostle Paul says, 
"In Adam all die; 7 ' " by one man sin 
entered into the world, and death by sin ; and 
so death passed upon all men ; " "by the 
offence of one, judgment came upon all 
men to condemnation : " "by one man's 
disobedience, many were made sinners." 
In the explanation of this subject, given by 
the Reformers, they say, that all men are 
from their very birth, not only exposed to 
the wrath of God, on account of the fall of 
Adam, but subject to corruption of 'nature, 
which is of itself to be condemned as de- 
serving of death.^ And this agrees with 
the Scriptures. After the fall of Adam, he 
was unholy. He had lost the righteous- 
ness in which he was created, and became 
a sinner. When Seth was born, from 

* See Scott's continuation of Milner, 4th London edition, 
Vol. 1. p. 32. 

8 



92 NATIVE DEPRAVITY. 

whom the whole world was afterwards 
peopled, it is said that Adam begat a son 
in his own likeness, after his image. Now, 
what was this likeness and this image 2 
Adam had lost the image of God, in which 
he was created, which consisted in righte- 
ousness and true holiness ; but he had be- 
come unholy, sinful, and corrupt ; and the 
son who was born in his image was the 
same. And accordingly we find just what 
we should expect from this fact, that very 
soon all mankind had become so corrupt 
that, " God saw that every imagination of 
the thought of his heart was only evil con- 
tinually ;" and after the flood, he said, " the 
imagination of man's heart is evil from 
his youth.''' Job, speaking of the natural 
state of man, inquires, " Who can bring a 
clean thing out of an unclean ? " David 
says, "Beheld I was shapen in inquity, 
and in sin did my mother conceive me ; J? 
and, the wicked go " astray as soon as they 
be born, speaking lies." Jeremiah says, 
£< The heart is deceitful above all things, 



DIFFICULTIES. 93 

and desperately wicked." This is spoken 
in general terms, and includes the whole 
human race : and so does our Savior's de- 
claration that out of the heart proceeds all 
manner of wickedness. And so, in his 
conversation with Nicodemus, he says, 
l( That which is born of the flesh is flesh ;" 
meaning by flesh, as it is elsewhere used, 
the corrupt dispositions of the natural 
heart; showing plainly, that we receive 
from our parents not only their bodily but 
their moral likeness. Paul also says, we 
are " by nature children of wrath." 

Samuel. I have no doubt, mother, that 
all mankind begin to sin as soon as they 
are capable of moral action ; but the ques- 
tion in my mind is, whether it can be pro- 
perly said that they are sinners before they 
have committed any sin. 

Mother. By taking this ground, Sam- 
uel, you relieve yourself of none of the 
difficulties connected with the common 
view of the doctrine, while you involve 
yourself in many others, the chief of 



94 DIFFICULTIES. 

which is, that you have to explain away 
the most obvious meaning of numerous 
passages of Scripture ; besides which, you 
have to account for the fact that men uni- 
versally act just as we should expect them 
to, if their natures were corrupt from the 
very commencement of their existence. 
You gain nothing by your theory, because 
it is just as difficult to account satisfactorily 
for the fact that God should place us under 
such an arrangement as to make it certain 
that we shall sin as soon as we begin to 
act, as for the fact that he made our con- 
nection with Adam such that, in conse- 
quence of his sin, we derive a corrupt 
nature from him. The only satisfactory 
answer that can be given to all the difficul- 
ties and objections which arise in our 
minds in relation to any truth taught in 
the Bible is, "even so, Father, for so it 
seemed good in thy sight." We must be 
willing to trust ourselves in the hands of 
the Author of our being, with the confi- 
dence that he will do us no injustice ; and 



PAPAL DOCTRINES. \) 

to believe what he has revealed concern- 
ing his dispensations towards us. however 
mysterious it may appear to us, with our 
limited views of his moral government. 

Samuel. How did the Papists and Pro- 
testants agree on this subject, mother ? 

Mother. The Papists denied that concu- 
piscence^ or evil propensity or disposition is 
sin : which was, in effect, to deny the doc- 
trine of native depravity. 

Peter. Well, mother, I think we have 
talked long enough about this: I want to 
hear what the next article was. 

Mother. Do not be impatient, my son ; 
there is one thought more, which I wish to 
impress upon your mind. The contempla- 
tion of this subject should lead us to see 
the great evil of sin. Look upon the awful 
consequences of that one act of disobedi- 
ence, committed by the father of our race. 
All his posterity are thereby involved in 
guilt and ruin. This shows how exceed- 
ingly hateful sin is, in the sight of a holy 
God : and the fact that he withdraws his 
8* 



96 SELF-ABASING VIEWS. 

favor and communion from those that are 
born after the likeness of their fallen head 
or progenitor, shows that he regards u sin 
itself, wherever found, and in whatever 
form, and however occasioned, as an evil 
and bitter thing, altogether blameworthy 
and hateful" A consciousness of possess- 
ing this evil nature, is calculated to lead us 
to the exercise of the deepest humiliation 
and self-abasement. Under a deep con- 
viction of our own exceeding sinfulness, in- 
stead of being disposed to cavil with the 
truth, we shall confess the justice of the 
sentence of condemnation, which has gone 
out against our whole race, " accept the 
punishment of our sins," and seriously and 
earnestly inquire how we may obtain de- 
liverance both from the wrath and curse of 
God, and from the power and dominion of 
sin. 

Samuel Well, mother, I think there is 
one view of this subject, which is full of 
consolation. From the latter part of the 
fifth chapter of Romans, it appears to me 



CONSOLATION. 97 

that, although many will reject the gospel 
and be lost, yet the blessings of Redemp- 
tion will far exceed the injuries of the fall. 

Mother. Yes ; I think this idea is evi- 
dently contained in the comparison which 
Paul draws, in the fifth chapter of Romans, 
between the fall and recovery of man. If 
God had, by the exertion of his Almighty 
power prevented the entrance of sin into 
the world, we know not how it would 
have been possible for us ever to have be- 
come acquainted with the glories of the 
Divine character which are manifested to 
us in the gospel of his dear Son. 

Peter. Well, then, if our sin turns out 
for the glory of God, why are we to blame ? 

Mother. This is the same rebellious lan- 
guage, my son, which the apostle Paul an- 
swers, "Nay 3 but, Oman, who art thou 
that repliest against God? Shall the thing 
formed say to him that formed it, ' Why 
hast thou made me thus ? ? " Sin is, in its 
own nature, hateful and odious ; and the 
fact that the Lord is able to bring good out 



98 HUMBLENESS OF MIND. 

of evil, does not make evil good. After 
all, however, it becomes us to speak on 
this subject with the greatest humility and 
diffidence, as one, in all its bearing and re- 
lations, immeasurably beyond the reach of 
our minds ; humbly to receive what God 
has been pleased to reveal concerning it ; 
and wait for the clearer light of eternity to 
reveal the rest. Then, I have no doubt it 
will appear that the dealings of God to- 
wards mankind have all been upon the 
highest principles of benevolence. Certain 
I am that 5 in the day of judgment, " every 
mouth will be stopped, and all the world 
become guilty before God ; " and that the 
saints in glory will sing in rapture, " Great 
and marvellous are thy works, Lord God 
Almighty : just and true are thy ways, 
thou king of saints." But, we will now 
attend to Peter's request, and pass to 
another subject : The third article of the 
confession relates to the person and media- 
tion of Christ, and agrees with what is 
taught in 'the creed and catechism. To 



JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 99 

this the Papists made no objection. But 
the fourth article contains the great doc- 
trine of the Reformation. 

Peter. What is that, mother. 

Mother. It is the great doctrine of Jus- 
tification by faiths which I have often ex- 
plained to you before.^ 

Caroline. I would like to hear it ex- 
plained again, mother. Please tell me in 
easy words that I can understand. 

Mother. The Lord Jesus Christ, while 
he was in the world, obeyed the law of 
God perfectly ; and in his death, he suffered 
for our sins. Now, for the sake of his obe- 
dience, sufferings, and death, God pardons 
the sins of all who believe on him, and re- 
ceives them into his favor, as though they 
had never sinned. This is called justifica- 
tion ; and the difference between the Pa- 
pists and Protestants, on this point, was, 
that the former held that we were justified 
partly by the merits of Christ, and partly 
by our own merits and the merits of the 

* See u Great Apostacy," p. 127. 



100 JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. 

saints ; while the latter held that we were 
justified alone by faith in Christ, without 
any reference to good works, but that good 
works are a necessary fruit of faith, and 
will always exist in connection with it. 
The Papists, also, confounded justification 
with sanctification, making them one and 
the same thing. ^ 

Peter. But I thought we must repent of 
our sins before we can be pardoned. 

Mother. It is true, my son, we must; 
yet we are not pardoned on account of our 
repentance, but solely on account of the 
obedience and death of Christ, which takes 
away our sins. But, in the very nature of 
things, we cannot receive the benefits of 
Christ's death without faith; and faith 
cannot be separated from repentance, which 
includes the idea of a change of heart. 

Peter. But why cannot we receive the 
benefits of Christ's death without faith? 

Mother. It is a sufficient answer to this 
question, to say that it has pleased God to 

* See " Great Apostacy," p. 128. 



OBJECTION ANSWERED. 101 

make faith the instrument through which 
we receive the benefit of Christ's death. 
Besides, a believing state of mind, or the 
reliance of the heart on Christ, is essential 
to the enjoyment of the blessings of salva- 
tion. 

Peter. But, after all. mother, it seems 
to me according to the doctrine of the Re- 
formers, a man may be saved by faith, and 
do just as he pleases : for if Ave are to be 
justified by faith without works it is no 
matter what Ave do. 

Mother. This same objection, my son, 
was brought against the doctrine as Paul 
preached it ; and he has answered it in his 
epistle to the Romans. In the first part of 
his epistle, he shows that no one can be 
justified by keeping the law, because all 
have sinned, and he concludes " that a 
man is justified by faith, without the deeds 
of th$ law/' Some one is then represented 
as saying, " Shall we continue in sin, that 
grace may abound] ; " And he answers, 
" God forbid. How shall we that are dead 



102 EFFECTS OF FAITH. 

to sin, live any longer therein." He then 
goes on at length to show that the doctrine 
of justification by faith, instead of promo- 
ting looseness of conduct, tends directly to 
promote holiness. It subdues the power of 
sin, and bring us under the influence of the 
law of love. The faith of the gospel works 
by love, purifying the heart, and producing 
the strongest possible motives to holiness of 
life. And, in the whole history of the 
church, it has been found that vital piety 
and purity of morals have prevailed just 
in proportion to the estimation in which 
this doctrine has been held, and the clear- 
ness with 'which it has been presented ; 
while formality and ungodliness have pre- 
vailed in proportion as it has been disbeliev- 
ed or undervalued. This is the only true 
foundation; and it is a " tried stone, a 
precious corner stone, a sure foundation." 
No other foundation has been tried like 
this. The patriarchs and prophets and 
holy men of old tried it, and found it a 
" sure foundation." 



A TRIED FOUNDATION. 103 

Peter. How could they try it, mother, 
before Christ came ? 

Mother. They tried it by faith, as we 
do, except that their faith looked forward, 
while ours looks backward. All the sacrifi- 
ces pointed to Christ ; and all the holy men 
of old believed in him that was to come. 
The apostles and martyrs tried it ; and it 
bore them up when suffering all manner of 
torture, and even death itself. 

Samuel. It was well, then, I think, for 
the reformers to fix themselves on it. 

Mother. Yes ; and this was the princi- 
pal theme of their preaching. It was the 
great doctrine which they revived. Luther 
wrote a commentary on Galatians, with 
special reference to this doctrine. But this 
foundation has been tried in our day. 
Every anxious burdened soul that tries it, 
finds a sure resting place ; and no one that 
has ever tried it in the hour of death, has 
been disappointed. You have often heard 
of persons who have abandoned other 
foundations, in that awful hour, and tried 
9 



104 INSPIRATION. 

this ; but you never heard of one who 
abandoned this and tried another. 

Elizabeth. What was the fifth article 
of the confession, mother 1 

Mother. It asserts that the word 
preaching, and sacraments are the medium 
through which God gives his Holy Spirit 
to whom he will, in consequence of which 
they believe unto righteousness. It rejects 
the doctrine held by the Anabaptists, the 
Friends, and some others, that the Holy 
Spirit is given independently of truth com- 
municated to the mind. 

Peter. How can we know that, mother ? 

Mother. The apostle Paul says, " Faith 
cometh by hearing and hearing by the 
word of God ; " by which I understand 
that a knowledge of the facts of the gos- 
pel, communicated to the mind either by 
preaching or reading, or by the direct 
teaching of the Holy Spirit, is necessary to 
the exercise of faith. Generally the re- 
newing and sanctifying influences of the 
Holy Spirit are spoken of in the New 



NOT NOW NEEDFUL. 105 

Testament, in connection with the truth. 
But those sects, who believe that the Spirit 
of Inspiration still continnes in the Church, 
make no distinction between the ordinary 
and extraordinary influences of the Spirit. 

Elizabeth. How did the Papists like 
this article, mother? 

Mother. They wholly rejected it. 

Samuel. I do not see how they could 
do otherwise, mother ; for, if this is true, 
they could not justify themselves in for- 
bidding the word of God to the people. In 
doing so, they forbid them to become par- 
takers of the Holy Ghost. 

Mother. Yes, my son, you are right. 
The sixth article of the confession asserts 
that true faith always produces good works, 
which every man is bound to perform ; yet 
we must not rely upon them for salvation. 
But, as we have fully considered this, 
under the fourth article, we will pass on 
to the seventh, which affirms the existence 
of a holy Catholic Church, consisting of 
all the faithful ; and w r hich is known not 



106 THE CHURCH. 

by a uniformity in ceremonies, bit* oy the 
efficacious preaching of the word, and the 
administration of the sacraments in their 
purity. 

Samuel. Did the Papists agree with 
this,- mother ? 

Mother. No ; they held, and so the Pa- 
pists hold now, that the true Church of God 
on earth consists of a body of people, good or 
bad, united in the profession of the same 
Christian faith, in the communion of the 
same sacraments, under the government of 
lawful pastors, and particularly the Pope, 
whom they call the vicar or representative 
of Christ. 

Samuel. So, according to them, a true 
Church of Christ may not have one true 
Christian in it. 

Mother. The eighth article of the con- 
fession asserts that the Christian Church, 
though composed of saints, yet has hypo- 
crites in it ; and that the efficacy of the sa- 
craments is not destroyed by hypocrisy in 
the administrators.^ 

* See " Great Apostacy," p. 1 J . 



A MISTAKE. 107 

Samuel. If that is true, mother, I think 
some people give themselves a great deal 
of needless trouble. I have heard Mr. 
Wilkes say that he could not go to the com- 
munion because Mr. Clary was there, and 
he thought he was not a Christian. 

Mother. If any one thinks he cannot 
belong to a church that has any unworthy 
members in it, he must never think of be- 
coming a member of any Church ; and the 
probability is that he would himself make 
a very uncomfortable member. There 
were false professors in the primitive 
church ; and even in the little band that 
followed our Savior, there was a Judas. 
But, the humble Christian will be found 
looking into his own heart, rather than 
worrying himself about the unworthiness 
of his brethren. — The ninth article of the 
confession asserts that baptism is necessary, 
and is a means of grace ; and that infants 
are to be baptised. Article tenth asserts 
that the real body and blood of Christ are 
truly present in the eucharist, under the 
9* 



108 CONSUBSTANTIATION. 

elements of the bread and wine, and are 
distributed and received. 

Peter. Why, that is Popery, mother, I 
think. 

Mother. It is a little different. The 
Papists hold not only that the body and 
blood of Christ are really present, but that 
the bread and wine, by the act of consecra- 
tion, are really changed into the body and 
blood of Christ. The mind of Luther 
seems not to have been delivered entirely 
from the prejudice of early education, in 
regard to this subject ; and he retained the 
substance of the papal doctrine so modi- 
fied as to remove its grossness, under the 
title of consubstantiation instead of tran- 
substantiation. This gave rise to a spirited 
and rather unhappy controversy between 
him and his associates and the Swiss Re- 
formers, and prevented the latter from 
uniting in this confession. Article eleventh, 
approves of private confession^ to the 
pastors, and absolution by them ; but 

* See « Great Apostacy," pp. 145, 146, 147. 



CONFESSION, 109 

denies the necessity of a particular enumer- 
ation of all sins. 

Samuel. Do they find any thing in the 
Bible in favor of confessing to ministers ? 

Mother. Not particularly to ministers. 
The only passages which enjoin confession, 
are those which require us in general to 
confess our sins ; which I suppose mean 
confessing them to God. The passage in 
James, which says, u Confess your faults 
one to another, and pray one for another, 
that ye may be healed,'' means, I sup- 
pose, no more than this, that we are to con- 
fess our faults to those whom we have 
injured, and seek reconciliation and pardon 
by mutual prayer ; or perhaps it may also 
extend to the confession of sins which bur- 
den our consciences, to our Christian 
brethren, for the purpose of Christian sym- 
pathy and the aid of their prayers ; which 
is very proper. But it has no reference to 
confession to the Christian minister for the 
purpose of obtaining absolution or pardon 
from him. 



110 ABSOLUTION. 

Elizabeth. How can ministers pardon 
sin, mother? 

Mother. Those who hold to this doc- 
trine derive their opinion from the lan- 
guage of Christ to the apostles, " Whose- 
soever sins ye remit, they are remitted 
unto them ; and whosesoever sins ye retain, 
they are retained." But this was spoken 
especially to the apostles ; and no other 
persons can claim the power conferred by 
it. They were clothed with the gift of 
discerning spirits, and with miraculous 
power to punish incorrigible sinness, as in 
the cases of Annanias and Sapphira, and 
Elymas the sorcerer. 

Samuel. Well, then, I think the Luther- 
ans retained the Popish doctrine in this 
article, too. 

Mother. To some extent, they did ; but 
they denied the necessity of the particular 
enumeration of every sin, at confession ; 
while the Papists hold that it is necessary, 
in order to obtain absolution, that every 
mortal sin, whether in thought, word, or 



REPENTANCE. 



Ill 



deed, with every aggravating circumstance, 
should be confessed to the priest ; and to 
withhold any thing is sin. This, you will 
readily see, gives the priests a most inti- 
mate acquaintance with the secrets of the 
whole community, and thus clothes them 
with immense power. So that, the taking 
away of the necessity of a particular enu- 
meration of sins, makes the Lutheran 
doctrine comparatively harmless. 

Peter. What is the twelfth article of 
the confession, mother ? 

Mother. It maintains that those who 
sin after baptism, if they repent, should al- 
ways be restored to the church ; and that 
repentance consists in sorrow and regret 
for sin and reliance on Christ for pardon, 
and produces good works. It denies sin- 
less perfection, and condemns the Novatian 
error"* of refusing to the penitent transgres- 
sor forgiveness and restoration to church 
privileges, and all dependence on our own 

* See Stories of 2d and 3d Centuries. 



112 SACRAMENTS. 

satisfactions for sin. — Samuel can you tell 
wherein this differs from the Popish doc- 
trine '? 

Samuel. It differs altogether ; for the 
" Popish doctrine destroys all idea of true re- 
pentance. In the first place, they hold 
that baptism washes away sin. If a per- 
son 'sins after baptism, they say the merits 
of Christ are applied by means of penance ?* 
which is a sort of satisfaction required by 
the priest, as a condition of absolution. So 
that, without even being truly sorry for 
sin, or forsaking it, we may receive par- 
don. 

Mother. The thirteenth article relates 
to the Sacraments ; and maintains that 
they are not merely significant signs, but 
tokens and evidence of God's gracious dis- 
position towards us, calculated to awaken 
and strengthen our faith ; and that faith is 
necessary to the worthy receiving of them. 
You will perceive that this strips off all the 

* See " Great Apostacy," p. 146. 



FEASTS AND FASTS. 113 

Popish notions, which make the sacra- 
ments grounds of dependence for salva- 
tion. — The fourteenth article relates to the 
ministry, and maintains that no one should 
preach publicly and administer the sacra- 
ments, unless duly called. — Article fifteenth 
declares that rites of human institution, so 
far as they are not sinful, and tend to peace 
and good order in the church, such as cer- 
tain feasts, fasts, &c. are to be observed ; 
but that all human institutions designed to 
appease God, are contrary to the gospel. 

Samuel. Mother, do you think it is 
right to observe so many feasts and fasts 
as some denominations of Christians do ? 
It seems to me that they are relics of Popery. 

Mother. Undoubtedly most of those that 
are fixed at particular seasons of the year, 
are of Popish origin. But the Reformers I 
suppose took the right ground when they 
allowed all such as were not sinful, and 
especially condemned such as were design- 
ed to take the place of the atonement of 
Christ. There is no harm in setting apart 



114 FEASTS AND FASTS. 

stated seasons of fasting and thanksgiving, 
provided they are not made the grounds of 
dependence for salvation. It is not right 
however, to force them upon others as a 
matter of conscience. Paul allowed the 
early Gentile converts to keep the Jewish 
feasts, as things innocent in themselves. 
But he would not allow those that kept 
them to condemn those that did not. He 
says, in relation to this subject. " One man 
esteemeth one day above another : another 
esteemeth every day alike. Let every man 
be fully persuaded in his own mind. He 
that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto 
the Lord ; and he that regardeth not the 
day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. 
But why dost thou judge thy brother ? And 
why dost thou set at nought thy brother? 
for we shall all stand before the judgment 
seat of Christ. 7 ' It appears that the con- 
verted Jews were inclined to find fault with 
the converted Gentiles for not keeping their 
feasts ; while the Gentiles despised the 
Jews for their scrupulous attention to them. 



CIVIL GOVERNMENT. 115 

Both were wrong. The Jews might inno- 
cently gratify the prejudices of their edu- 
cation in keeping feasts to the Lord ; but 
they must not require any thing of others, 
which God had not required. The Re- 
formers followed Paul's example. They 
did not at once abolish all the sacred feasts 
and fasts that had been introduced by 
man ; but allowed the prejudices of the 
people to be gratified so far as they were 
innocent ; while they strenuously set their 
faces against every thing tending to ob- 
scure the great doctrines of the gospel. 

Peter. What is the sixteenth article, 
mother ? 

Mother. It maintains that civil govern- 
ment is ordained of God ; and that Christ- 
ians may lawfully hold offices, civil and 
military, and pursue the various occupa- 
tions of citizens. 

Samuel I have heard some people say 

that, as the kingdom of Christ is not of this 

world, therefore those who belong to it are 

not at liberty in any way to connect them- 

10 



116 CIVIL GOVERNMENT. 

selves with the kingdoms of this world ; 
and that a Christian cannot consistently 
hold an office, or have any thing to do with 
maintaining civil government. They say, 
though laws may be necessary for others, 
yet for Christians, who are under the law 
of Christ,— the law of love — they are not 
necessary. Though I am not convinced 
that they are right, yet, I do not know as 
1 understand the subject very well. 

Mother. You will perceive a striking 
affinity between these notions and those en- 
tertained by the Anabaptists of Germany ; 
though they may in some things differ 
widely from them. They agree, for in- 
stance, in the idea of a pure, spiritual 
church on earth ; and that, " among Christ- 
ians, who have the precepts of the gospel 
to direct, and the Spirit of God to guide 
them, the office of magistracy is not only 
unnecessary, but an unlawful encroach- 
ment on their spiritual liberty."* But, 

* See " The Anabaptists." Also article Anabaptists, in 
any Theological Dictionary. 



KINGDOM OF CHRIST. 117 

there is a great misapprehension of the na- 
ture of Christ's kingdom, with those who 
think, that because it is not of this world, 
those who belong to it must have nothing 
to do with this world. If it had been so, 
we should have had no directions about 
our conduct in regard to the things of this 
world. The kingdom of Christ is, indeed, 
a spiritual kingdom. It is a kingdom 
"within us" in " righteousness and peace 
and joy in the Holy Ghost." But, it does 
not follow, because we belong to this spir- 
itual kingdom, that we are angels, having 
nothing to do with the affairs of human 
life. So long as we are in the world, we 
have obligations and responsibilities grow- 
ing out of our relations to others ; nor are 
these relations abolished, by our union with 
Christ. On the contrary, the principles of 
Christianity enforce every relative duty ; 
and their influence upon those who em- 
brace them, is, to make them more faithful 
in every relation of life. Paul says that 
f( the powers that be are ordained of God ;" 



118 FREE WILL. 

and if so, it cannot be wrong for the chil- 
dren of God to hold offices in the civil gov- 
ernment ; for the Lord would not ordain 
an institution which it would be wrong for 
his children to maintain. Christ does not 
pray that his disciples may be taken out of 
the world ; but that they may be kept from 
the evil. 

Peter. Well, mother, I want to hear 
about the rest of the confession. 

Mother. Article seventeenth relates to 
the coming of Christ to judge the world, 
the final salvation of the righteous, and the 
eternal punishment of the wicked. Article 
eighteenth asserts that men have some free 
will to live reputably, to choose among ob- 
jects which their natural reason can com- 
prehend; but that, without the gracious 
aids of the Holy Spirit, they cannot please 
God, nor truly fear him, exercise faith, or 
overcome their sinful propensities. 

Peter. I don't understand that, mother. 

Mother. I do not suppose I can make 
it very intelligible to you. It relates to 



FREE WILL. 119 

what is called metaphysics : or the science 
of the mind, which is a very difficult sub- 
ject. But I mention this that you may re- 
member what the Reformers taught on this 
subject. 

Samuel. I have read some on this sub- 
ject ; but I think I have seen nothing so 
plain as the Bible. Christ says in one 
place. "No man can come to me except 
the Father draw him ;" and in another 
place, he says, " Ye will not come unto me 
that ye might have life ; M showing that the 
reason why they cannot come, is that they 
will not. If that is so, I do not see but we 
are perfectly free to choose or refuse good 
or evil. 

Mother. That I suppose is true, my 
son ; and yet, it is also true, that all man- 
kind are by nature so depraved and per- 
verse that they will not choose the good, 
until they are renewed by the Holy Spirit. 
Speaking of the children of God, the apos- 
tle John says, " Which were born not of 
blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of 
10* 



120 GOOD WORKS. 

the will of man, but of God." Although 
we are perfectly free in our choice, yet, 
until we are " born of God," we choose 
only evil. I should rather find fault with 
this article for speaking of the " gracious 
aids of the Holy Spirit. 7 ' We find no such 
thing in the Bible. There, the disposition 
of man is represented as wholly perverse, 
and the Holy Spirit as u working in us, to 
will and to do" The idea of gracious aid, 
would seem to imply that we have by na- 
ture some good disposition, which only 
needs aid ; whereas, the truth is, we have 
the natural ability — that is, we have all 
the faculties of the soul necessary to per- 
form what is right, but not the disposition 
to do it. The work of the Holy Spirit, 
is, in the " renewing of our wills," and not 
in aiding us to do the good we desire to do, 
but cannot. — The twentieth article of the 
confession declares that the Reformers do 
not discourage good works ; but only use- 
less works, such as the Rosary, worship- 
ing saints, pilgrimages, monastic vows, 



THE ROSARY. 121 

stated fasts. &c. It maintains, at consid- 
erable length, both from Scripture and the 
fathers, that a man cannot be justified by 
works. 

Caroline. What is a Rosary, mother ? 

Mother. It is a bunch or string of beads, 
which the Papists count, in order to know 
when they have finished the prayers neces- 
sary to obtain a certain number of indul- 
gences. 

Caroline. What good does that do, 
mother ? Is it praying, to count beads ? 

Mother. It is a foolish superstition, my 
dear. They do not think it necessary to 
pray in their hearts ; so they have set 
forms of prayer, which are represented by 
their beads. This saves them the trouble 
even of saying their prayers. They have 
only to count their beads. The rest of the 
the confession relates to the abuses which 
had crept into the church, condemning the 
various abominations of Popery. The last 
article relates to the distinction between 
civil and ecclesiastical power ; and is im- 



122 RELIGIOUS LIBERTY. 

portant, and as showing the great advances 
made by the Reformers, in respect to the 
true principles of liberty. It declares that 
the spiritual or episcopal power is limited 
to preaching, administering the sacraments, 
and loosing and binding sins. If bishops 
teach contrary to the Scriptures, they say 
they are to be treated as false prophets. 
They have no authority to make laws for 
the church ; and they can bind the con- 
science only by showing that the gospel 
enjoins what they teach. 

Samuel How is it, mother, that these 
articles say nothing about election and pre- 
destination ? 

Mother. I do not know how to account 
for the omission ; for it is certain that Lu- 
ther held the doctrine of predestination. 
He asserts it, in very strong language, in 
one of his letters to Erasmus. — But we 
have now gone through the whole confes- 
sion. Our conversation has been very long ; 
and we will dismiss the subject, till another 
opportunity. 



QUESTIONS. 123 



QUESTIONS. 

How many articles were contained in the Augsburg 
confession ? What did they comprise 1 Of what does the 
first article treat ? What is the meaning of Trinity 1 Are 
we required to believe any thing which we cannot under- 
stand ? What should be our first inquiry, when in search 
after truth ? If we adopt the principle that we will believe 
nothing which we cannot understand, where will it lead us ? 
To what does the second artiele of the confession re- 
late 1 What was the doctrine of the confession in regard 
to Original Sin? What did they mean by guilt? Is it 
proper to find fault with, or start difficulties against a doc- 
trine, in order to prove that it is not true 1 What would be 
the consequence, if we were to admit this method of rea- 
soning ? What is the doctrine of Original Sin, or native 
depravity, as generally held by orthodox Christians ? For 
whom was Adam put upon trial ? How did his disobedi- 
ence affect his posterity ? Is a person to blame for hav- 
ing a bad disposition 1 What is the only satisfactory 
answer which we can give to the difficulties that arise in our 
minds, in relation to any truth taught in the Bible ? What 
effect should the contemplation of this subject produce on 
our minds 1 What was the great doctrine of the Reforma- 
tion ? What was the difference between the views of the 
Papists and Protestants, in regard to justification ? What 
was contained in the fifth article of the confession ? How did 
this article agree with the views of the Papists ? What 
difference was there between the views of the Catholics 
and Protestants, in regard to the church ? What were the 
views of the Protestants in regard to baptism ? What did 
they believe respecting the Lord's Supper ? What were 



124 QUESTIONS. 



their views in regard to private confession ? What was 
the difference between this and the doctrine of the church 
of Rome ? What was the difference between the views of 
the Papists and Protestants in regard to repentance ? What 
in regard to the sacraments ? What was contained in the 
fifteenth article of the confession ? What were the senti- 
ments of the Protestants in relation to civil government ? 
To what does article seventeenth relate ? What were the 
sentiments of the Reformers in relation to free will ? 
What ; in regard to good works ? To what does the rest of 
the confession relate ? Did Luther believe in Predestina- 
tion? 



125 



CHAPTER VI. 

Reception of the confession, by the Papists — the Refuta* 
tion. How Luther was employed — his remarkable faith, 

Peter. We have had a long talk, mo- 
ther, about the Augsburg confession ; and 
now I want to hear what the Papists did 
about it. 

Mother. The Pope's legate, Campeggio, 
and others employed by the Pope, had been 
anxious that the Protestants should not be 
heard at all ; but that a decision should be 
pronounced against their doctrines, on the 
ground that they had already been con- 
demned by Pope Leo X ; and that force 
should be employed to put them down. 

Samuel. But how could they tell, be- 
fore they had heard them, whether their 
sentiments were the same that had been 
condemned by Leo X ? 

Mother. We must not expect to find 



126 POPISH ZEAL. 

the Papists very scrupulous about the jus- 
tice or fairness of their proceedings. If we 
do, we shall be disappointed. They were 
for having the Edict of Worms strictly en- 
forced ; but as this could not be carried, 
the legate would not be present when the 
confession was read, lest he should surren- 
der the rights of the church, by allowing a 
hearing to what the Pope had condemned. 

Samuel I wish we could find the Po- 
pish priests as scrupulous about some other 
things. 

Mother. There is nothing for which 
they are as zealous as for the authority of 
the Pope. They can witness and practice 
the most abominable vices, without any 
scruple, while they shudder with affected 
horror at the least encroachment upon the 
rights of the Holy See. The Emperor, 
however, desired Campeggio's advice re- 
specting the confession, and so he read it 
in private, with the divines that were of 
his company. 

Elizabeth. He heard some truth, then, 
for once. I wonder what he thought of it. 



PAPAL HYPOCRISY. 127 

Mother, He said the difference for the 
most part seemed verbal ; and it was not 
much matter whether men spoke after one 
manner or another. 

Samuel Is that so, mother 1 I thought 
there was a great deal of difference be- 
tween the sentiments of the confession and 
those of the church of Rome : and if it was 
not of much consequence how men spoke, 
why did they trouble the Protestants at 
all? 

Mother. We discover, by this, the hol- 
low-heartedness of their zeal for the truth. 
It was not the truth, nor even the doctrines 
of the church of Rome, for which they 
were contending ; but the authority of the 
Pope. It was no matter to them what a 
man believed, or how he lived, provided he 
would acknowledge the Pope to be all that 
he pretended, and submit to him in all 
t hings. The conclusion of Campeggio was, 
that a Refutation of the Confession should 
he read, to remove the effect of the reading 
of the Confession ; but that it should not be 
11 



128 AFRAID OF TRUTH. 

published, lest it might open the way to 
disputes. 

Elizabeth, What makes the Papists so 
much afraid of disputes, mother? 

Mother. Because they know their doc- 
trines and practices will not bear being ex- 
amined. Christ explains it, when he says, 
" Every one that doeth evil hateth the 
light, neither cometh to the light, lest his 
deeds should be reproved. But he that 
doeth truth cometh to the light, that his 
deeds may be made manifest that they are 
wrought in God." This is the reason why 
the Catholic priests will not allow the peo- 
ple to read the Bible. They are afraid of 
the light. Whenever you see a disposition 
to put down temperate, fair discussion, by 
forcible or unfair means, you may know 
there is hatred against the truth. Cam- 
peggio also advised that means should be 
used, by offers of favor, and threats of se- 
verity, to prevent the Protestants from go- 
ing further. So the Confession was put 
into the hands of Faber and Eckius, and 



THE REFUTATION. 129 

other Popish divines, that they might pre- 
pare a Refutation or answer. On this 
work they employed between five and six 
weeks. 

Samuel. What did the Diet do all this 
time, mother? 

Mother. Little was done except to vex 
the Protestants. Campeggio's plan of prom- 
ises and threats was put in operation, to 
prepare their minds for the reception of the 
Refutation. But they were neither allur- 
ed by the one, nor frightened by the other. 
At length, the Refutation was presented. 
It was severe and harsh, and recommend- 
ed that the ban of the empire should be 
threatened against those that disobeyed it. 

Peter. What was the ban of the em- 
pire, mother '? 

Mother. It was a public censure, by 
which the privileges of the German princes 
were suspended. 

Peter. Did they do that, mother ? 

Mother. The Emperor was said not to 
have approved the harsh language of the 



130 READING OF THE REFUTATION. 

Refutation ; and the princes were of opin- 
ion that the biting expressions should be 
left out : which was accordingly done, and 
the instrument was read in full assembly 
of the states, on the third of August ; the 
Emperor declaring that it had his approba- 
tion, and should receive his support. 

Peter. What was in the Refutation, 
mother ? 

Mother. It was said to be a very weak 
production ; of which we may judge by 
such arguments as this : In regard to the 
marriage of the priests, they wondered how 
the Protestants could demand it, since it was 
never in use since the very age of the apos- 
tles. After the reading of the Refutation, 
thei Emperor acknowledged that some 
abtises existed in the church, which he 
would endeavor to have reformed ; and 
with this prospect, he trusted the Protest- 
ants would return into the bosom of the 
church and submit themselves. 

Samuel A wonderful prospect, indeed ! 
How much reformation could they expect 
from such hands ? 



HOLLOW PROMISES. 131 

Mother. Any reformation proposed by 
the Papists was like removing a noxious 
tree, by cutting off a few of its slenderest 
branches. The church of Rome was cor- 
rupt, root and branch ; and no reformation 
could be effected without overturning the 
whole system. But the Emperor promised 
every favor to the Protestants, if they would 
submit ; but if not, he must act as became 
the guardian and defender of the church. 

Elizabeth. That was rather severe. 
What did the Protestants say to it ? 

Mother. The Elector of Saxony answer- 
ed for himself and friends, and said that 
they would do any thing for peace, which 
they could do with a safe conscience; and 
if convicted of error, by the authority of the 
Bible, they would renounce it ; and con- 
cluded with asking for a copy of the Refu- 
tation, that they might consider it at leis- 
ure, and show on what points it was not 
satisfactory to them. This he said would 
be agreeable to the fair and candid discus- 
sion to which they had been invited. 
11* 



132 A COPY REFUSED. 

Peter. I am sure that was fair, mother. 
How could they object to it '1 

Mother. Their object was not to ascer- 
tain the truth, nor to convince the Protest- 
ants ; but to force them to submit to the 
authority of the church. A copy of the 
Refutation was refused them. 

Samuel. That shows its weakness, I 
should think. They were afraid to have 
it examined. 

Mother. Yes ; two days afterwards a 
copy was offered them, merely for their 
private reading, on the condition that no 
copy should be taken, and that no other 
persons should see it, as the Emperor would 
have no more debate, but required them to 
submit. 

Samuel. I hope they did not receive it 
on such conditions. 

Mother. No, they did not. The night 
following, the landgrave of Hesse, being 
convinced that no good was to be effected 
by remaining at Augsburg, went home 
without taking leave. This displeased 



MEDIATION PROPOSED. 133 

both the Emperor and his own party. 
There seemed now no prospect of any 
peaceful settlement of affairs ; but the 
Elector of Mentz and some other princes, 
wishing to make another effort to effect a 
reconciliation, undertook to act as media- 
tors between the two parties. 

Samuel. I always like people that have 
a disposition to bring togeriier parties that 
are at variance ; for Christ says, " Blessed 
are the peacemakers. 7 ' 

Mother. Yes ; but these men did not 
act much the part of peacemakers. The 
first conference that was held for this pur- 
pose, one of them said, " if the Elector of 
Saxony did not renounce and anathama- 
tize the new-fangled doctrine which he had 
embraced, the Emperor would, by force of 
arms, deprive him of his dignities, his pos- 
sessions, and his life.* 7 

Samuel. Such language from the mouth 
of a professed peacemaker ! How was the 
good Elector affected with such a threat ? 

Mother. As this language evidently be- 



134 IMPERIAL CITIES. 

trayed views that were secretly cherished 
on the other side, he was at first consid- 
erably agitated and disturbed ; but after a 
while he recovered his composure, and did 
not suffer himself to be moved from his 
purpose. At this time, the Protestant cause 
received considerable accession. Four of 
the imperial cities, Kempten, Winsheim, 
Hailbrun, and Weissenberg, came out bold- 
ly and joined the Protestants. 

Elizabeth. That was noble, at such a 
time, I think. 

Mother. It was ; especially as they were 
cities of moderate strength and resources. 
They were exposing themselves to difficul- 
ty, with little prospect but that of persecu- 
tion and violence. It was a gratifying evi- 
dence of the power of truth and the strength 
of religious principle. 

Sarn,nel. But, it is a wonderful thing, 
mother, for people to gain new friends in 
times of adversity. 

Mother. It is very common, however, 
for the church to increase in times of per- 



CONFERENCES APPOINTED. 135 

sedition. As the Lord has all hearts in 
his hand, he is able to bring to her aid 
whom he pleases : and it often happens 
that the most bitter persecutors are con- 
verted into the warmest friends. — After the 
mediation of the princes had failed, seven 
persons were appointed on each side, (three 
princes, two lawyers, and two divines :) 
and the whole month of August was spent 
in fruitless attempts to effect a reconcilia- 
tion. 

Samuel. I should think they might have 
known before they tried it, that no agree- 
ment could be effected between parties so 
directly opposed to each other in principle 
and practice. Paul inquires, " What fel- 
lowship hath righteousness with unrighte- 
ousness, and what communion hath light 
with darkness ? And what concord hath 
Christ with Belial ? or what part hath he 
that believeth with an infidel ? And what 
agreement hath the temple of God with 
idols P It seems to me that these things 
might as well unite, as for any agreement 



136 FAILURE OF THE CONFERENCES. 

to take place between the Papists and 
Protestants. 

Mother. That is true. The differences 
did not admit of compromise. Toleration 
could not be exercised by the church of 
Rome, without abandoning her preten- 
sions ; and the Protestants could not sub- 
mit, without yielding up principles dearer 
than life. Luther is said to have remark- 
ed, that u concord might as well be estab- 
lished between Christ and Belial, as between 
Luther and the Pope.' 7 The Protestant 
divines, however, were willing to concede 
every thing they could conscientiously. 
Luther said, H We assure them, that, if 
they will in future tolerate our doctrine, 
and abstain from persecuting and seeking 
to exterminate us, they shall suffer no loss 
of their jurisdiction and their dignity from 
us. We aspire at no episcopal or any oth- 
er dignity : we only desire to be Christians, 
whose condition ought to be a despised and 
afflicted one." Liberty to preach the gos- 
pel was all they wanted. But the imperial 



LUTHER. 137 

cities were not satisfied with this. They 
wished to shake off the yoke of the bishops. 
At the end of the month, the whole busi- 
ness was referred back to the Emperor, in 
the same state as when these conferences 
commenced. 

Elizabeth. What was Luther doing all 
this time, mother? 

Mother. You recollect he came with 
the Elector of Saxony as far as Coburg, 
where he remained during the session of 
the Diet. His letters are dated sometimes 
from " The Wilderness ;" and sometimes 
from the " Region of birds ;' J from the great 
number of rooks that frequented the place. 
While there, he employed himself in trans- 
lating the Prophets, writing a commentary 
on the Psalms, writing letters of advice 
and consolation to his friends, with some 
other works. 

Peter. He was in such a pleasant place, 
I think he might have taken some time to 
rest. 

Mother, He was one of those men who 



138 luther's address to 

could not be idle when there was any good 
to be done. Though he suffered from sick- 
ness, he published during the year, four- 
teen works besides those I have mentioned. 
One of these Avas an address to the clergy 
who were members of the Diet, which he 
composed and published a little before the 
Emperor left Inspruck, copies of which 
were distributed in the imperial court. In 
this address, he shows how fruitless had 
been all the harsh measures heretofore 
adopted against the Protestants. He then 
goes on to vindicate himself from the 
charges that had been made against him, 
and enumerates the errors of Popery, show- 
ing that the church of Rome instead of 
himself, are the innovaters. He charges 
the clergy with having neglected the preach- 
ing of the gospel, and declares their ser- 
mons to be worthless, " Nothing was 
heard in them of Christ — nothing of faith. 
The very best of them resounded only with 
the invocation of saints and the worship of 
the virgin. I myself/' said he, " as much 



THE POPISH CLERGY. 139 

as any others, paid to Mary what was due 
only to Christ. Him I regarded as an an- 
gry judge : Mary as 1he fountain of grace, 
to whom all our hopes were to be directed, 
if w r e would not be left utterly to sink in 
despair." 

Samuel How could any body believe 
such abominable doctrine as that mother, 
with the Bible before them ? 

Mother. You will recollect that, with 
the Papists, the Bible is not the rule of 
faith or practice. A Papist must believe 
what the church believes, right or wrong. 
And, when men depart from the Bible, and 
adopt some other standard, there is nothing 
too gross for them to believe. The heart 
is by nature blinded by sin, and averse to 
the truth. And, when men resist the truth, 
God sometimes leaves them to embrace the 
most absurd fables. In the language of 
Scripture, when they receive not the love 
of the truth, that they might be saved, 
God sends them strong delusion, that they 
should believe a lie, that they all might be 
12 



140 THE POPISH CLERGY. 

damned. Of the Popish clergy, Luther 
says, " They taught us to fly from Christ, 
as a minister of vengeance, and to transfer 
to another all the confidence which we 
ought to have placed in him. From such 
deceivers, therefore, we learned nothing 
but idolatry." After enumerating the vari- 
ous abuses which existed in the church, 
he earnestly exhorts them to repentance 
and amendment ; and begs, if no hope was 
to be entertained from them, they would 
not delay to take him off. " While liv- 
ing," says he, "I have been your plague, 
and dying, I will be the death of you." In 
conclusion, he urges reformation and pacific 
measures. "But," says he, "if you de- 
termine to go on obstinately, and employ 
force, I in conjunction with all who think 
with me, do by this writing, testify before 
God and the whole world, that we are not 
the authors of your perdition, which you 
draw upon yourselves by your pride and 
wilfulness. Your blood is on your own 
heads. But may God, the author of peace 



A STRONG IMPRESSION. 141 

and consolation, guide you into all truth, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord/' 

Samuel That was just like Luther, 
mother. What effect did it have on the 
minds of those to whom it was addressed ? 

Mother. It is said to have produced a 
strong impression. It must have carried 
with it the conviction of its truth ; but, to 
corrupt and wicked men, truth, above all 
things, is to be dreaded. The tract con- 
taining this address was publicly sold near 
the hotel of the Elector of Saxony. It 
was also read before the Catholic princes, 
by the bishop of Augsburg. 

Elizabeth. I should suppose this won Id 
make the Catholics so angry that they 
would have persuaded the Emperor to put 
Luther to death. 

Mother. No doubt they were angry 
enough to do it; for one of them, who 
wrote a hundred and fifty years afterwards, 
blames the Emperor for not compelling the 
Elector of Saxony to deliver him up, to be 
punished. But, Luther's friends were too 



142 one man's influence. 

powerful, and his influence too great, for 
the Emperor to hazard such a course. Be- 
sides, Luther's work was not done, and 
therefore, the Lord restrained the wrath of 
his enemies. But, as an evidence of the 
effect produced by this address, many of 
those who heard it read, became, within a 
few years, the friends and patrons of the 
Reformation ; some of whom were persons 
of great influence and power. 

Samuel. It is wonderful how much in- 
fluence one man can exert, by the power of 
his own mind alone. 

Mother. The circumstances in which a 
man is placed, often give him the means of 
exerting an influence which he could not 
in any other situation. This was the case, 
in the Providence of God, with Luther. 
He, however, was a man to whom God 
had given, not only extraordinary powers 
of mind, but wisdom to employ those 
powers to the best advantage. He was no 
doubt raised up for the special purpose of 
reforming the church. Besides the letter 



luther's correspondence. 143 

just mentioned. Luther wrote to the Arch- 
bishop of MentZj advising him to be on his 
guard against the Italians: showing him 
from Scripture the danger of being found 
among persecutors ; and urging him to 
stand, like Gamaliel, between the Protes- 
tants and their persecutors. He also tells 
the Archbishop, that while associated with 
the Pope, he stood involved with Satan 
himself. But the private correspondence 
of Luther, at this time, is deeply interest- 
ing. Here we have the warm gushings of 
a heart deeply devoted to his master's ser- 
vice. In one of these letters, written to 
the Elector of Saxony, while he was wait- 
ing for the arrival of the Emperor, Luther 
states some facts, which are deeply inter- 
esting, as showing the progress of the 
Reformation in the Elector's dominions. 
"Truly," he says, " there are more numer- 
ous and more excellent pastors and teachers 
in your highness' dominions, than in any 
other country in the world. Our youth, of 
both sexes, grow up so well instructed in 
12* 



144 RELIGION IN SAXONY. 

the Holy Scriptures and the catechism, 
that it affords me the most sensible pleasure 
to 1 see the children learn more, and enabled 
to believe and avow more, concerning God 
and Christ, than all the Papal colleges, 
monasteries, and schools, heretofore knew, 
or even yet know. These tender plants 
form a lovely paradise, planted by God 
himself, in your highness' territories, which 
has not its like in all the world besides.' 5 

Elizabeth. O how true this is, mother, 
of our land of Sabbath Schools. But I 
did not think the truth had, at that time, 
made such progress in Germany. 

Mother. Not in all Germany; but in 
the Electorate of Saxony. It is a remark- 
able fact, however, that similiar results 
always follow the preaching of the pure 
gospel. One of the precepts of the Bible 
requires parents to train up their children 
in the nurture and admonition of the Lord ; 
and where pure religion prevails, you will 
always find the young instructed in the 
Bible. But the most remakable thing in 



luther's faith. 145 

Luther's letters at this time, is, his strong 
faith in God. Speaking, in one of them, 
of Melancthon's distress about the dark 
aspect things were assuming at Augsburg, 
he says, " Philip is harrassed by his phi- 
losophy, and nothing else; for the cause 
rests with him who says, None shall pluck 
it out of my hand, I should not wish it to 
be in our hands. Whatever hitherto I 
have been enabled to cast from myself 
upon him, has prospered ; so true is it, 
that God is our refuge and strength. Who 
ever trusted in him and was forsaken ? " 

Samuel. That sounds very much like 
the writings of the Bible saints, mother. 

Mother. Yes ; and every one that will 
venture upon the Lord, will find the same 
true of himself. Who ever trusted in the 
Lord, and was confounded ? The promises 
of the Lord, in respect to them that trust 
in him are too numerous to be repeated 
here ; and they are so full that it must be 
the height of unbelief and ingratitude for 
us to distrust the Providence of God, and 



146* TRUSTING IN GOD. 

indulge painful anxiety and concern about 
the future. " Commit thy way unto him, 
and he shall direct thy steps." Here is the 
promise that those who trust in the Lord, 
and submit their wills to his direction, 
shall be directed aright. " Trust in the 
Lord, and do good, and verily thou shalt 
be fed." If, therefore, we trust in the 
Lord, and employ ourselves in his service, 
we have no need to fear that we shall not 
be provided for. "All things work to- 
gether for good to them that love God." 
Why then should we be cast down in ad- 
versity and affliction ? If we are the chil- 
dren of God, every thing that seems to be 
against us shall be for us in the end. It is 
a blessed consideration, that the Lord 
reigns. When we know that all things 
are under the control of a Being of infinite 
power and infinite benevolence, what have 
we to fear ? What need of anxiety ? He will 
do right. What he does, will certainly be 
for the best ; and therefore we ought to re- 
joice in it. This is the reason that we are 



147 

told to u rejoice in the Lord alwayP Dur- 
ing the session of the Diet of Augsburg, 
Melancthon was full of fears, and often 
overcome with despondency. Hearing of 
his great anxiety, Luther wrote him a long 
letter, full of faith and confidence in God. 
Towards the close of this letter, is this re- 
markable passage: " Be of good cheer, 
I have overcome the world. Christ is the 
conqueror of the world. What, then, do 
we fear a vanquished enemy as though he 
were victor ? Such a sentence would be 
worth fetching from Rome to Jerusalem, 
though we had to creep all the way on our 
hands and knees for it." 

Samuel. I think, mother, if we realized 
the full meaning of that promise, we should 
think so too. 

Mother. Yes ; Christ has overcome the 
world. What, then, need we fear? It is 
sinful unbelief that makes us " careful 
and troubled about many things.' 7 But 
Luther goes on with much more, in the 
same strain in his letter to Melancthon. 



148 luther's firmness. 

c; You/' says he, " let reason lead you into 
folly, and vex yourself to death; never 
considering that the business is placed 
quite beyond your hand and your counsel, 
and will be conducted independently of your 
care. And Christ forbid that it should 
ever come into your hands ! We should 
then come to a sudden, but forsooth a 
glorious end ! But do not you meddle 
with things too high for you. If what we 
desire does not come to pass, what is better 
will." In another letter to Melancthon, in 
reply to the inquiry whether any more 
might be conceded to the Papists, he said he 
thought enough and more than enough had 
already been conceded in the confession. 
"Day and night," says he, " my mind is ex- 
ercised on this subject, considering, reconsid- 
ering, arguing and examining every part of 
Scripture ; and my assured confidence in our 
doctrine continually grows stronger. By 
the help of God, I will suffer no more to 
be extorted from me, in the way of con- 
cession, be the consequence what it may." 



luther's humility. 149 

Samuel That was a noble resolution, 
indeed, mother. But do you not think, 
that Luther was a little ambitious of di- 
recting every thing in the cause of the 
Reformation himself? 

Mother. I have no evidence of it. In 
one of his letters, at this time, he objects 
to their speaking of following his authority. 
" I would not be," said he, " or allow my- 
self to be called, your guide. If it is not 
equally your cause, let it not be called 
mine, or be thought to be imposed on you 
by me." 

Elizabeth. What was it, mother, which 
made Melancthon and his friends so much 
cast down, at Augsburg? It does seem to 
me that their faith was very weak. 

Mother. We cannot judge of the con- 
duct and feelings of others, unless we 
know something of their circumstances. 
It is true, when we consider the promises, 
that no real child of God, under the darkest 
dispensations of his providence, has any 
ground of despondency. But, surrounded 



150 POPISH ARTIFICE. 

as we are with weakness and imperfection, 
it is not strange that the best of men some- 
times give way to such feelings. The sit- 
uation of the Protestants at Augsburg was 
peculiarly trying. They had to deal with 
the craftiest men, who would not scruple 
to descend to any thing to accomplish their 
end. They were artfully beset every day, 
with insincere professions, and by other 
means, in order to prevail on them to make 
some concessions that would be injurious 
to their cause. Some of them would talk 
kindly to the Protestant ministers, in order 
to obtain from them the secrets of their 
princes ; and endeavor in every possible 
way to entrap them; so that it became 
necessary to forbid the ministers engaging 
in these conversations. 

Melancthon was of a gentle spirit, anx- 
ious to refuse nothing that could be lawfully 
yielded, to promote peace ; yet, he was ex- 
ceeding fearful of betraying the truth. The 
idea of involving his country in a civil 
war, by refusing to yield to the demands 



CONFIDENCE IN GOD. 151 

of the Papists, must have been, to a man 
of his tender conscience exceedingly dis- 
tressing. 

Samuel. I do not wonder that he was 
full of trouble. He must have had strong 
confidence in God, to bear up under such a 
load of responsibility. 

Mother. Yes ; his situation was truly 
distressing. He was harrassed with anxiety, 
for fear of wounding his conscience, hurt- 
ing his character, or injuring the church of 
Christ. One of his friends says, " I have 
seen him not only sighing and groaning, 
but profusely shedding tears/' J 

Elizabeth. But was not this all wrong, 
mother ? The prophet Isaiah says in his 
prayer, " Thou will keep him in perfect 
peace, whose mind is stayed on thee." 

Mother. So far as it arose from want of 
confidence in God, it was wrong; but it is 
right to exercise a holy jealousy over our 
own hearts, and to be afraid of doing 
wrong ; nor is it safe to be very confident 
that we are directed of God. I am not 
13 



152 CONFIDENCE IN GOD* 

sure but much of Melancthon's anxiety- 
arose from this ; for he says, " I am not 
at all disturbed about my own private 
danger." But, I think it probable that he 
did indulge undue anxiety about the result 
of what depended not upon his own ac- 
tions, but the Providence of God. But, 
Luther's faith was firm and unshaken, not 
only in regard to himself, but the affairs of 
the church and the empire. He says, 
" He that created me, will be the father of 
my child, and the husband of my widow, 
the ruler of the commonwealth, and the 
preacher in my parish." I have no doubt, 
this is the true feeling of Christian resigna- 
tion and confidence in God, which we 
ought to exercise at all times. 

Samuel. Can you tell me, mother, how 
it was that he was able to maintain such 
strong faith and unwavering confidence in 
God? 

Mother. It was doubtless by the grace 
of God which was given to him. But, 
when you learn what means of grace he 
used, you will not be surprised at his 



luther's devotion. 153 

attainments. One of his friends, who was 
with him at Coburg. says. "I cannot 
enough admire the extraordinary cheer- 
fulness, steadfastness, faith and hope, of 
this man. in these trying times. He con- 
stantly feeds these good affections, by a 
very diligent study of the word of God. 
Then, not a day passes in which he does 
not employ in prayer at least three of his 
very best hours.*' 

Elizabeth. ^Mother, do you not think 
that any person might be as full of faith 
as Luther was. if he would use the same 
means 1 

Mother. I have no doubt of it. if these 
means were used with suitable dependence 
upon God. Some people trust in prayers, 
and other means of grace. They cannot 
expect to be blessed, for God will not give 
his glory to others. But, we have the 
most abundant encouragement to seek the 
grace of God. Christ says our Heavenly 
Father is more willing to give his Holy 
Spirit to them that ask him. than earthly 



154 BEAUTIFUL ILLUSTRATION. 

parents are to give good things to their 
children. And, the Holy Spirit is what 
we need, to enable us to grow in grace, 
and live a holy life. To show how strong 
the ground of our faith is, Luther gives 
this beautiful illustration, which I suppose 
came to his mind while at his devotions, 
for he used to pray, standing at his win- 
dow : "I looked out of my window, and 
saw two prodigies : I beheld the glittering 
stars, and all the glorious vault of heaven. 
I looked around for the pillars by which 
it was upheld, but I could discover none. 
Yet it remained firm and secure. The 
same unseen hand which had formed, sus- 
tained it still. Yet numbers anxiously 
search on all sides for its supports : could 
they feel with their hands, they might then 
be at ease, but as this is impossible, they 
live in constant disquiet, lest the heavens 
should fall down upon their heads ! I be- 
held again, and lo, thick clouds of water, 
like a mighty ocean, which I saw nothing 
to contain, nothing to hold up, rolled above 



BEAUTIFUL ILLUSTRATION. 155 

our heads. Yet, they descended not upon 
us; but j after presenting a threatening as- 
pect for a little time, they passed away, 
and a brilliant rainbow succeeded them. 
This was our protection. Yet it appeared 
frail and evanescent, and, though it has 
ever hitherto proved availing, still numbers 
think more of the thick and dark mass of 
waters, than of the slender fleeting arch of 
light. They want to have sensible proof 
of its sufficiency, and, because they can- 
not obtain that, they live in dread of a 
second deluge. 

Peter. Why, mother, would any body 
be so foolish as to be afraid the heavens 
would fall on their heads ? 

Mother. I do not know whether any 
person in his senses ever did indulge such 
fears ; but we have more reason to be 
afraid that the heavens will fall, than to 
distrust the promises of God ; for the time 
will come, when the " heavens shall be 
rolled together as a scroll ;' 3 " but the word 
of God abide th forever and ever." 
13* 



156 QUESTIONS. 

QUESTIONS. 

For what had the Pope's legate been anxious ? When 
he could not accomplish this, what course did he pursue ? 
For what are the Romish priests chiefly scrupulous ? What 
did Campeggio say after reading the Confession ? What did 
this show ? What was the legate's conclusion ? Why are 
the Papists so much afraid of discussion ? Why is it that 
they will not allow the people to read the Bible 1 When a 
disposition is manifested to suppress fair discussion by for- 
cible or unfair means, what does it show ? What did Cam- 
peggio advise, as means of preventing the Protestants going 
any farther 1 What was done with the Confession 1 What 
was done while the Papists were preparing their Refuta- 
tion ? What was the character of the Refutation ? What 
was the ban of the empire ? What was done with the Refu- 
tation ? What was the Emperor's conclusion, in regard to 
Protestants ? How did they answer him ? What farther 
means were employed to reconcile the contending parties 1 
What happened, at this time, favorable to the Protestant 
cause ? How was Luther employed during the session of 
the Diet ? 



157 



CHAPTER VII. 

Conclusion of the Diet — The Decision — Answer of the Pro- 
testants — The Decree. 

Elizabeth. Mother, the last thing you 
told us about the Diet was, that the efforts 
made to reconcile the two parties had failed. 
What was done after that % 

Mother. After consulting with the Cath- 
olics, the Emperor sent for the Protestant 
princes, and in the presence of his brother 
and some confidential friends, told them 
that he was surprised and disappointed at 
their conduct. He thought it very strange 
that they, who were few in number, should 
presume to embrace a singular kind of reli- 
gion, different from what was professed by 
the Catholics, by himself and his brother, 
and by all the kings of the earth ; and even 
by their own ancestors. 

Samuel Why, mother, a school boy 
would laugh at such a speech as that. 



158 MIND OF A PAPIST. 

Because they were few in number, they 
must not believe according to their own 
consciences ! especially, they must not pre- 
sume to have a different religion from the 
Emperor and his brother ! 

Mother. This not only shows the dark 
and intolerant spirit of the age ; but it lets 
us into the mind of a Papist, so that we can 
discover how it is that the Catholics form 
their opinions. They believe, not from a 
conviction of the truth, produced by evi- 
dence presented to their minds ; but because 
the church believes. We see also, how the 
minds of the worldly great are enslaved. 
The Emperor could not think of forming 
his own opinions ; but he must believe what 
was professed by the Catholics and by the 
rest of the princes of the empire, and by all 
the kings of the earth. 

Samuel. But, did the Emperor propose 
no concession at all ? Why was so much 
time spent in conference, if he did not mean 
to give up any thing ? 

Mother. He pretended to be very con- 



HOLLOW PROFESSIONS. 159 

descending, when he proposed to use his 
interest with the Pope, to persuade him to 
call a general council, provided the Pro- 
testants would follow the same religion as 
that professed by the other princes, till the 
council should be called. 

Elizabeth. How strangely it sounds, 
mother, to hear about laying aside one re- 
ligion and taking up another, according to 
convenience, as one would change a gar- 
ment. 

Mother. Yes ; that shows the hollow- 
ness of these men's professions. To their 
minds, it was all a matter of outward cere- 
mony. It is evident, they had no concep- 
tion of an inward, spiritual religion, which 
affects the vital principles of our moral 
being. All this is foolishness to men of the 
world. 

Peter. How did the Protestants answer 
him, mother? 

Mother. They denied that they had 
formed any new sect ; thanked him for the 
proposed council ; but declared that they 



160 THE DECREE. 

could not receive the doctrines and rites of 
the church of Rome, which had been abol- 
ished. They could not do it with a good 
conscience. 

Samuel. This brings the two parties 
into an unpleasant situation, mother. What 
did the Emperor do next ? 

Mother. He first offered them farther 
conference ; but they declined it. The 
Emperor, they said, had already expressed 
surprise that so much should have been 
conceded by his deputies, in the former 
conferences ; and as they had already de- 
termined to concede no more, it would only 
occasion useless delay. He then ordered 
a committee to be chosen, to draft a decree, 
as the result of the Diet; and required the 
Elector of Saxony to remain four days 
longer, in order to hear it read. This com- 
mittee was made up of all the most violent 
enemies of the Protestants. 

Peter. I should like to know, mother, 
what sort of a decree they would make. 

Mother. It required the Protestants to 



THE DECREE. 161 

continue all the rites of the Romish church, 
and to restore them where they had been 
abolished. It condemned the doctrine of 
the Reformers in relation to free will and 
justification. It ordained that married 
priests should be turned out of office ; but 
that such as would forsake their wives 
might be restored, while those who would 
not, should be banished, or otherwise pun- 
ished. 

Elizabeth. O, that is horrible, mother^ 
to force men to leave their wives and chil- 
dren ! 

Mother. You recollect, that one of the 
characteristics which Paul gives of those 
that should depart from the faith, is, " for- 
bidding to marry." The Papists forbid 
their priests to marry ; and as the Protest- 
ant ministers had married, contrary to this 
rule of " Holy Mother Church," they must 
undo what they had done. But besides 
this, the decree required that all the monas- 
teries, which had been destroyed, should 
be rebuilt; application to the Pope for a 



162 NO COMPROMISE. 

general council was promised, to be sum- 
moned in six months, and to meet in twelve; 
and it was declared that no appeal or pro- 
test against this decree should have force, 
but that all men should be obliged to em- 
ploy their fortunes and lives, to enforce it ; 
and that none of the princes or nobles of 
the empire, who refused to sanction this 
decree, should be allowed to sit in the su- 
preme court of the empire. 

Samuel It seems to me, mother, that 
they were very unwise, if they desired to 
bring, about a reconciliation. They might 
have left every thing that was past, with- 
out injuring their cause, and only required 
submission to the church in time to come. 

Mother. But we see the hand of God 
in it. Nothing could have been more un- 
favorable to the truth, nor to the infant 
cause of the reformation, than any com- 
promise that could have been made, on the 
most favorable terms, with the church of 
Rome ; and Luther rejoiced when he heard 
that the attempts at reconciliation had 
failed. 



THE REPLY. 163 

Peter. But what did the Protestants do, 
when they heard this decree 1 

Mother. They said they could never 
admit that the Confession had been refuted. 
They were more than ever convinced that 
it was agreeable to the word of God, 
which they would have shown, if a copy 
of the refutation had not been refused 
them. They had, however, drawn up an 
answer to so much of it as they could 
recollect, which they begged leave to pre- 
sent to the Emperor. They said they had 
never forced any one to embrace their sen- 
timents ; but they claimed the right of 
doing, within their respective states, what 
was agreeable to their own conscience in 
regard to religion. And, finally, they 
asked for a copy of the proposed decree, 
that they might have time to make up 
their minds before it passed. 

Samuel. Who wrote the answer of the 
Protestants to the Refutation of their con- 
fession ] 

Mother. It was written by Melancthon. 
14 



164 THE APOLOGY 

It may be found at length in the books of 
the Lutheran church. 

Samuel. But I suppose it did them no 
good, as the Papists had already deter- 
mined that they would not -listen to argu- 
ments. 

Mother. No ; they would not even hear 
the answer or apology, as it was called ; 
and the Elector of Brandenburg, replied for 
the Emperor, and said he was astonished 
that they should still continue to affirm the 
truth and piety of their religion, thus im- 
plying that not only the Emperor and the 
other princes, but their own ancestors, 
were heretics. He said he had granted 
more than he ought to have done in the 
proposed decree ; and they would have to 
answer for the consequences, if they re- 
fused to submit. As to their answer to 
the Refutation, he said he had declared 
before that he would have no farther de- 
bate, Nothing should be altered in their 
favor, in the decree ; and if they did not sub- 
mit, it would give him occasion to join 



NOT HEARD. 165 

with the other princes in making a new 
decree, and in taking measures to root up 
entirely the new sects, and preserve in 
force the ancient faith. He, too, regarded 
conscience and the salvation of his soul ; 
and would far less forsake the ancient re- 
ligion that had been handed down through 
successive generations, than they would 
their new one. 

Elizabeth. That was very severe, in- 
deed, mother. 

Mother. Yes ; but the Elector of Bran- 
denburg took it upon himself, at the close, 
to say, in the name of the Emperor, other 
and severer things than these. He said, 
unless the Protestants submitted, the rest 
of the states had pledged their lives and 
fortunes for putting an end to these dissen- 
sions ; and the Emperor had promised to 
lend all his force and power to that object, 
and not to leave Germany till it was ac- 
complished. 

Samuel. I hope the Protestants were 
not frightened with these threats, 



166 A BOLD REPLY. 

Mother. No ; they had a higher power 
than the Emperor to lean upon. The 
Elector of Saxony replied by Pontanus, 
that they were not deficient in their duty 
to the Emperor ; nor was it from private 
interest or idle caprice that they had em- 
braced the doctrine set forth in their con- 
fession ; but they had been convinced of its 
truth by long consideration and careful ex- 
amination of the Scriptures ; and they 
dared not reject it, lest they should incur 
the awful sentence of those who sin against 
the Holy Ghost. They would, therefore, 
by the help of God, for his glory and the 
good of souls, still confess this doctrine 
and cause it to be taught in their churches. 
All pious persons throughout Europe, they 
said, with sighs and tears, demanded a re- 
formation of the church ; and they did the 
same ; and they thought the Emperor,' who 
knew that reformation was necessary, 
would not take up arms against his own 
subjects, to gratify the impiety and cruelty 
of other people, for the sake of establish- 



AN INTERESTING SCENE, 167 

ing the errors and corruptions of the Papacy, 
and suppressing the truth which sets forth 
the glory of the Son of God, and promotes 
the salvation of souls. The truth, he said, 
could never be crushed, whoever might fall 
in its defence. 

Elizabeth. That was a noble address, 
mother. I wonder what effect it had on 
the Catholics. 

Mother. It produced a strong impression. 
Pontanus was a man of great eloquence ; 
and we may suppose these sentiments were 
uttered in a very forcible manner. Imagine 
the situation of the three parties : There 
sat the Popish divines, with murder in their 
hearts, and anger and rage in their coun- 
tenances, no doubt wishing that the Lu- 
therans had but one head, that they might 
cut it off at a single blow. These were 
like the men who gnashed upon Stephen 
with their teeth, and ran upon him and 
stoned him to death. Then look at the 
Catholic princes, whose consciences were 
in bondage to Popery, who on the one hand 
14* 



16S AN INTERESTING SCENE. 

feared the dreadful guilt as well as personal 
danger, they supposed they might bring 
upon themselves, by disobeying the Pope ; 
and on the other hand, dreaded the horrors 
of a civil war. On the other side, were the 
Protestants, whose countenances, though 
chastened with anxiety and care, yet 
beamed with serenity, indicating that peace 
which is promised to those whose minds 
are stayed on God. Imagine also one of 
their number, speaking in their behalf, con- 
scious that he might be speaking against 
his own life, and pouring forth a strain of 
fervid and burning eloquence, which u the 
man, the subject, and the occasion/' com- 
bined, r can alone produce ; and then you 
can form some idea of the impression pro- 
duced upon these three classes of persons. 
After this, several of the princes apologized 
for the severity of the address of the Elec- 
tor of Brandenburg declaring that it was 
unauthorized ; and the Emperor is said to 
have pronounced it unwarranted, and more 
than was called for. The Protestants con- 



AN INTERESTING SCENE. 169 

eluded by saying that it was of no use for 
them to urge any thing farther, since they 
could neither obtain a copy of the decree, 
nor be allowed sufficient time to consider 
it: they therefore committed themselves to 
God, in whom was their hope of salvation. 
The Elector of Saxony with great cheer- 
fulness, took leave of the Emperor, express- 
ing his confidence that the doctrine of the 
confession was firmly founded on Scripture 9 
and that the gates of hell could not prevail 
against it. He left Augsburg the same 
evening, and passed the night in a neigh- 
boring castle, where he listened to a ser- 
mon from one of his divines. 

Elizabeth. I like the character of the 
Elector of Saxony, mother. 

Mother. Yes ; he appears to have been 
a good and pious prince. Three days after 
he left Augsburg, the Senate of Nurem- 
berg asked his opinion as to what should 
be done in the difficult and trying circum- 
stances in which the Protestants were 
placed. He replied, he had no doubt God 



170 luther's faith. 

would uphold his holy word, and the con- 
fessors of it. His intention was, to take 
the advice of all his counsellors and di- 
vines ; and he recommended to them to do 
the same ; after which, they would consult 
together. On the eleventh of October, he 
arrived at Torgau, and heard Luther 
preach there the following Sabbath. Some 
days before, he had received a letter from 
Luther, who congratulated him on his re- 
lease from Augsburg. In this letter, the 
Reformer says, V Though the malice of 
men and devils against us is fierce, yet I 
have great hope that the grace of God, 
already manifested, shall increase and wax 
stronger in us. I have committed the 
whole business to my Lord God, and I 
doubt not that he who hath wrought in us 
to will, will grant us also to perform. 
Certainly, it proceeds not from men, to de- 
vise and proclaim doctrines like ours. Since 
then the work is God's, we shall see who 
they are that dare to fight against him." 
Samuel You have frequently spoken 



REFORMED CHURCH. t 171 

of the Lutherans ; and I have read of the 
Lutherans in this country, and also of the 
Dutch Reformed and German Reformed 
churches. Will you explain to me the dif- 
ference between them? 

Mother. The only difference between 
the Dutch Reformed and the German Re- 
formed churches, is, that the former, as it 
exists in this country, came originally from 
Holland, and the latter from Germany. 
The difference between the Lutheran and 
what is called the Reformed church, in 
Germany and Holland, is, that the former 
are the followers of Luther, and the latter 
of Calvin and the Swiss divines. 

Samuel. Well, what was the difference 
in the sentiments of these Reformers ? 

Mother. The principal difference be- 
tween the Reformers themselves was in 
regard to the sacrament of the Lord's Sup- 
per, which I have already explained to 
you. But, the Lutherans have departed 
considerably from the sentiments of Luther 
himself; so that there is now a much greater 



172 OTHER CONFESSIONS. 

difference in the sentiments of the two 
churches, than there was between Luther 
and Calvin. This difference, however, 
produced two other Confessions of faith, 
which were presented to the Diet of Augs- 
burg. One of these was from the four 
cities of Strasburg, Constance, Memmingen 
and Lindaw; and the other, from Zuin- 
glius, the Swiss Reformer. The first of 
these was written by Bucer, and differed 
very little from Melancthon's, except in 
regard^ to the Lord's Supper. 

Elizabeth. What a pity they could not 
all unite in one confession, mother. 

Mother. So Bucer thought; but even 
the mild and gentle Melancthon would not 
hold communion with those who differed 
with him on that subject. 

Samuel. That is very strange, that they 
should suffer so small a difference to sepa- 
rate them, when they were all engaged in 
a common cause. 

Mother. It would seem so, my son ; but 
it was not a small thing to them. They 



QUESTIONS. 173 

had so long been accustomed to view the 
mysterious transformation of the bread and 
wine into the body and blood of Christ as 
held by the church of Rome, that the views 
of the Swiss Reformers seemed impious. 

Peter. What was done with these Con- 
fessions, mother? 

Mother. The Confession of Zuinglius, 
coming from an individual, was not much 
noticed. But a Refutation of the other 
was prepared by Faber and Eckius, more 
severe and harsh than that of the general 
Confession. 

QUESTIONS. 

What was done, after the attempts at reconciling the two 
parties had failed ? Of whom was the committee composed, 
who were appointed to draft the decree of the Diet 1 What 
was the character of this decree ? What evidence does it fur- 
nish that its authors and those who acted with them had de- 
parted from the faith ? What did the Protestants do ; when 
they heard this decree ? How was the apology of the 
Protestants treated ? What was the character of the Empe- 
ror's reply to their answer 1 What, of the speech of Ponta- 
nus ; in behalf of the Protestants? What effect was pro- 
duced by it 1 What is the difference between the Reformed 
and Lutheran churches ? What other Confessions were 
presented to the Diet ? What was done with them ? 



174 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Measures of the Protestants to defend themselves against 
the Diet of Augsburg. Difference of sentiment among 
the Reformers — the league of Smalkald — its' effects — the 
Pacification of Nuremberg. 

Samuel Mother, what did the Protest- 
ants do, after they went home from the 
Diet of Augsburg ? They could not, it 
seems to me, sit down quietly under a de- 
cree which in effect made them all out- 
laws. 

Mother. They proceeded to form such 
plans and take such measures as seemed 
most likely to protect them from the storm 
that was gathering. Luther, who was 
never inactive, published a " Warning to 
his Beloved Countrymen ;' J in which he 
complains loudly of the spirit of the Pa- 
pists, whom he concludes God had given 
up to hardness of heart. But he thought 



175 

their threats would be vain, although they 
might be in danger of raising popular sedi- 
tions against themselves. 

Samuel Was that right, mother? Would 
it not be likely to encourage mobs for him 
to say so ? 

Mother. He immediately after con- 
demns such seditions ; so that his object 
appears to' have been to show the Papists 
the danger they were bringing upon them- 
selves. He said, if war should follow, the 
Protestants would be free from the guilt of 
it, and might expect protection from God. 
But, if he lost his own life in the contest, 
the Pope would find it a fatal blow to his 
own cause. He said the Papists were 
compelled to acknowledge that the Confes- 
sion contained nothing contrary to Scrip- 
ture ; and therefore, those who shed the 
blood of the Protestants were guilty of 
tyranny and murder. If they went to war 
in such a cause, they would do it with a 
bad conscience, and would have no better 
success than they had against the Huss- 
15 



176 A FOUL PLOT. 

ites.* If war were commenced against 
the Protestant princes, he should write 
nothing to excite his friends to self-defence, 
nor would he say any thing against it. He 
would leave that question with the law- 
yers. He said the Papists were ashamed 
of their Refutation, for they had concealed 
it. To show the intolerant and murderous 
spirit of the Papists, he quoted a speech of 
Eckius, which was openly made in pres- 
ence of the Protestants. This bigoted Pa- 
pist had said that, " if the Emperor, on his 
arrival in Germany, had acted as it had 
been resolved upon, while he was with the 
Pope at Bologna, and immediately made 
war upon the Lutherans, and massacred 
them wherever met with, all would have 
been well ; but by hearing the Elector of 
Saxony's chancellor, and allowing him to 
plead their cause, all the good plans which 
had been formed were frustrated, and every 
thing thrown into confusion.' 3 

* See Lollards, p. 172. 



A FOUL PLOT. 



177 



Samuel. Can it be true, mother, that 
any such plan as that was formed ? Could 
the Emperor, in cold blood, enter into a 
plot for murdering his own subjects ? 

Mother. I think there is some ground 
for believing this. You remember that the 
Emperor was for some time in daily inter- 
course with the Pope at Bologna, and that 
a reconciliation took place between them. 
And, you have seen that, after that time, 
the Emperor's tone of feeling and course of 
conduct towards the Protestants, were 
changed. Besides this, a plot for massa- 
creing the Protestants, is no uncommon 
event, in the history of the Reformation. 
But Luther proceeds to warn the people 
not to take arms against the Protestant 
princes, even though required by the Em- 
peror ; for it would be what he had no 
right to command them to do. But he 
could not think the Emperor would do it ; 
for he had shown great moderation in the 
Diet, and was reported to have said that 
he could scarcely allow himself to think 



178 AN UNSAFE PRINCIPLE. 

that doctrine bad, which was maintained 
by so many excellent men. 

Samuel, Is that sound reasoning, mo- 
ther ? May not excellent men sometimes 
fall into error ? 

Mother. Yes, my son, they often do; 
and it would be a very unsafe principle to 
maintain that any doctrine is true, because 
it is embraced by good men. Yet, such a 
fact amounts to a presumption in favor of 
a doctrine, till the doctrine is proved un- 
true ; and, in order to make the proof posi- 
tive in favor of any doctrine, it must be 
shown that the good character of the men 
who embrace it, is the legitimate fruit of 
the doctrine ; for, although men do not 
generally live up to their principles, yet 
they are sometimes better than their princi- 
ples. Luther concludes this address, by 
recounting and exposing the errors and 
abuses of Popery, and declaring his ardent 
desire for peace and quiet. Soon after this, 
he published " Animadversions on the 
Edict of Augsburg,'" and a " Defence," in 



LEAGUE OF SMALKALD. 179 

reply to some one who wrote against him. 
In the former of these, he expressess, in a 
very remarkable manner, his confidence in 
the doctrine of justification by faith alone, 
which he says " can never be overthrown, 
neither by the Roman Emperor, nor by the 
Turk, nor by the Tartar, nor by the Per- 
sian, nor by the Pope with all his cardi- 
nals, bishops, priests, monks, nuns; nor 
by kings and princes and potentates ; nor 
by all the powers of the world and all 
devils/' 5 

Elizabeth. What were the Protestant 
princes doing, all this time, mother ? 

Mother. They held various meetings, 
and formed leagues for mutual defence. 
The landgrave of Hesse entered into an 
alliance with the Swiss of Zurich, Balse, 
and Strasburg, about the time the Diet 
closed ; and the next month, the Protest- 
ant princes met in Upper Saxony, where, 
in March following, seven princes and 
twenty-four cities entered into x an agree- 
ment for mutual defence, which was called 
15* 



180 DIVISIONS. 

the League of Smalkald. But they would 
not allow the Swiss to enter into the league 
with them, because they differed with them 
in regard to the Lord's Supper. 

Samuel. Was not that illiberal, mother ? 

Mother. Yes, my son, it would now be 
regarded as exceedingly illiberal and bigot- 
ed. But, at that time, Christians had not 
learned that difference in sentiment on any 
points of religious belief was consistent 
with true piety on both sides ; and this led 
them, when they differed, to treat each 
other as heretics. 

Samuel. But, it seems to me very 
strange that there should be any difference 
of opinion among real Christians. It makes 
me feel melancholy sometimes to think how 
the church is divided into sects and parties, 
who are often contending with each other. 
How can it be so, if they are " all one in 
Christ Jesus'?" 

Mother. It is certainly a melancholy 
fact, my son ; but I do not think it so great 
an evil as it is by many regarded. I have 



DIVISIONS. 181 

no doubt it has been ordered by a wise 
Providence for a good end. The Protest- 
ants themselves did not see the evils of the 
union of the church and state ; and, if they 
had been perfectly united, they might have 
established by law a set of opinions and 
forms, which would have checked inquiry, 
and led to corruptions as fatal as those of 
the church of Rome ; for corruptions have 
always grown up to a monstrous height 
under church establishments. But. the 
division of sentiment among the Protest- 
ants, was in the end, one of the principal 
means of opening their eyes to the true no- 
tion of religious liberty. Thus, to prevent 
them from building another Babel, God 
appears to have sent among them a con- 
fusion of tongues. 

Samuel. But how can this difference 
of opinion be consistent with true union in 
Christ? , 

Mother. There must indeed be union in 
regard to those great fundamental truths, 
which are essential to the Christian sys- 



182 TRUE GROUND OF UNION. 

tern ; because without a belief in them, a 
person cannot be a Christian. But there 
are other matters, important in themselves, 
and useful for the perfecting of Christian 
character, concerning which true Christians 
may differ. And, it appears evident that 
there was a difference of opinion in regard 
to such things, in the primitive church. 
No one, I think, can doubt this, who will 
carefully examine the book of Acts, the 
fourteenth chapter of Romans, and some 
portion of 1st Corinthians. But, if, all 
Christians would act, in regard to such 
matters, on the principle laid down in the 
fourteenth chapter of Romans, these differ- 
ences would appear much less thar| they 
do now. 

Elizabeth. What-is that, mother % 
Mother. It is, to acknowledge and treat 
as Christians all who give evidence that 
Christ has received them. This is the true 
ground of Christian union. It is a union 
of felloivship, not a perfect unity of senti- 
ment. 



PHILOSOPHY OF TRUTH. 183 

Samuel But there is still a difficulty in 
my mind. Truth is immutable, and can- 
not be changed by the opinions of men, 
"Where there is a difference of sentiment, 
there must be error on one side or the other. 

Mother. I suppose there is more or less ; 
yet it may be of such a nature as not to 
destroy the Christian character ; and it 
may. in some cases, all arise from short- 
sightedness on both sides. Two men may 
believe the same great truth ; yet they 
may have but partial views of it : or their 
views may be directed to opposite points, 
so that they may see differently, in some 
respects yet both may see aright, so far as 
their views extend. There is quite a dif- 
ference between truth itself and the phi- 
losophy or theory of truth. 

Elizabeth. Will you please to explain, 
mother, what you mean by the philosophy 
or theory of truth ? 

Mother. It relates to the how and the 
why. There are many truths or facts that 
are revealed most clearly : but which God 



184 PHILOSOPHY OF TRUTH. 

has not seen fit fully to explain to us; 
yet, men will concern themselves to reason 
and speculate about the how and the why. 
They are not content to take God's word 
for it ; but they must know. the reason. 

Samuel. Is that right, mother ? 

Mother. We may, I suppose, so long as 
we do it with great diffidence and humility, 
endeavor to look into such things. But 
we must be careful that we form no confi- 
dent opinion beyond what is evidently re- 
vealed ; and it is far safer to stop in our 
inquiries concerning the truth, just where 
the Bible stops. 

Samuel. You do not mean to say, mo- 
ther, that all differences of opinion among 
Christians are of no importance ? 

Mother. No, my son, by no means. 
But a very large proportion of them, and 
some which have occasioned the most an- 
gry controversy, are such as do not effect 
the great essential points of Christian doc- 
trine. 

Samuel. But, who is to determine what 
is truth and what is not truth '? 



MEASURES OF DEFENCE. 1S5 

Mother. God has revealed the truth, 
in the Bible ; and every one is under a sol- 
emn responsibility to him, to determine for 
himself what that revelation teaches ; for 
he will surely call us to account, if we re- 
ject the truth, or embrace error. 

Peter. Mother, I want to hear more 
about the Reformers. What did they do, 
after they had formed the League of Smal- 
kald? 

Mother. They sent letters to the kings 
of England, France, and Denmark. The 
latter, they invited to join the League ; and 
the two former, they requested not to be- 
lieve the injurious reports that were spread 
concerning the Protestants, and also, to 
obtain a free general council. 

Peter. What were these reports, mother % 

Mother. They were of a most slander- 
ous and wicked character. Even one of 
the Emperor's envoys represented that the 
object of the Protestants was to obtain the 
property of the church, and that they de- 
rided the authority of magistrates and set 
at naught the institution of marriage. 



186 SLANDERS. 

■ Elizabeth. I cannot think how they 
could circulate such reports about persons 
of such pure morals as the Protestants. 

Mother. One of the characteristics of 
persecutors, as given by our Lord, in the 
sermon on the Mount, is, that they shall 
"say all manner of evil against his disci- 
ples falsely ;" and so it has always been. 
You recollect, in the time of the heathen 
Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, the Christians 
were accused of eating human flesh.^ 

Samuel. How did the kings to whom 
they wrote feel disposed towards the Pro- 
testant cause, mother ? 

Mother. Friendly answers were receiv- 
ed, but no assistance, except a little money 
from the king of England. 

Samuel. If I understand the object of 
this League, it was to resist the Emperor 
in the execution of the decree of the Diet 
of Augsburg. Was that right? The Bi- 
ble requires us to submit to the authority 
of magistrates. 

* Martyps of Lyons and Vienna, p. 11. 



THE GERMAN CONFEDERACY. 187 

Mother. This subject was fully exam- 
ined by the Protestant princes, lawyers, 
and divines, who came to the unanimous 
conclusion that they had a right to resist 
that Edict. The German empire was a 
confederacy, very similar to that of the 
United States. The several princes or 
senates were sovereigns in their respective 
states ; and the general government had 
no authority except what was delegated to 
it. When the Emperor was crowned, he 
entered into a solemn engagement to pre- 
serve the rights and privileges of the states 
inviolate. Neither the Emperor nor the 
Diet had any authority to interfere with 
the religious or internal affairs of the states ; 
and the decree of the Diet of Augsburg 
was evidently as unconstitutional as a 
similar law would be if passed by the Con* 
gress of the United States. It was null 
and void, because passed by a body who 
had no authority to pass it. The Protestant 
princes therefore, being sovereigns in their 
own states, might resist the execution of 
16 



188 THE PACIFICATION. 

this Edict by the Emperor on the same 
principle that they might have resisted the 
invasion of a foreign enemy. There is an 
evident distinction between subjects resist- 
ing the laws of the government under 
which they live, and confederate princes 
or states resisting the encroachments of the 
general government. 

Samuel. What was the effect of the 
League of Smalkald, mother. Did they 
go to war ? 

Mother. No ; this combination of the 
Protestant princes held the Emperor in 
check. He was not-prepared to engage in 
a civil war. The Turks had invaded 
Hungary, for the purpose of dethroning his 
brother ; and the Protestants had declared 
before the Diet departed^ that they would 
furnish no aid against the Turks, unless 
they themselves were protected, and peace 
secured within the empire ; and that they 
would not contribute to the expenses of the 
imperial chamber, unless they were placed 
on the same footing, in regard to that court, 



THE PACIFICATION. 189 

as the other states. These, and some other 
circumstances, made him desirous of effect- 
ing a reconciliation with the Protestants. 
In this state of affairs, the Archbishop of 
Mentz and Lewis, Elector palatine, offered 
to mediate between them. This led to 
what is called the Pacification of Nurem- 
berg ; which was an arrangement highly 
advantageous to the Protestants. This 
agreement was settled at Nuremberg, in 
July 1532, and solemnly ratified the next 
month in the imperial Diet held at Ratis- 
bon. By this treaty, universal peace was 
to be established throughout Germany, till 
the meeting of a general council : which 
the Emperor agreed to use his influence to 
procure in six months. In the mean time, 
no person was to be molested on account 
of his religion ; and all prosecutions which 
had been conmenced against the Protest- 
ants were to be stopped. On their part, 
they engaged to assist the Emperor with 
all their forces against the Turks. 
Samuel Why that was undoing all 



190 FEELINGS OF THE POPE. 

that had been done at the Diet of Augs- 
burg. 

Mother. Yes ; it was giving the Protest- 
ants all they had asked at the Diet. 

Elizabeth. How did the Pope like that, 
mother ? 

Mother. He was greatly displeased, as 
a matter of course. After the Turks had 
retreated and left the empire, the Emperor 
visited Italy, and met the Pope at Bologna, 
for the purpose of obtaining such a general 
council as would satisfy the Germans. But 
the Pope was not in humor for granting 
his requests. He had expected the Empe- 
ror to be a mere executor of his decrees 
against the heretics ; instead of which, he 
had given them a hearing, and instituted 
conferences to settle the differences ; all of 
which was derogatory to the Pope's au- 
thority. But what displeased him most, 
was the promise of a council, which of all 
things was most dreaded by the Popes. 
However, as there was no remedy, he con- 
cluded to consent to it, and make it appear 



GENERAL COUNCIL. 191 

as if done by him, so as to save the blow 
aimed at his authority. He therefore is- 
sued his letters to all kings and princes, 
giving an account of what had passed, and 
inviting them to assist in person or by their 
ambassadors in a general council. But he 
appointed neither time nor place for their 
meeting. 

Peter. Why, that was very strange, 
mother, to appoint a meeting, and yet 
name no time nor place for it. What did 
he mean by it ? 

Mother. It was in keeping with the 
hollow-hearted insincerity of Popery. His 
object was to put the matter off, and get rid 
of calling a council at all. In consequence 
of these things the Pope became alienated 
from the Emperor, and courted the alliance 
of the king of France ; who married one of 
his family, Catharine de Medicis. 

Elizabeth. Did he call the council at 
last, mother? 

Mother. He pretended to be very zeal- 
ous for a council, and sent his nuncio into 
16* 



192 GENERAL COUNCIL. 

Germany, with an ambassador from the 
Emperor, to arrange the preliminaries with 
the Protestants ; but he never would con- 
sent to it, except on such terms as he knew 
they would not accept. 

Samuel. What terms did he propose, 
mother ? 

Mother t He burdened it with such con- 
ditions as these, which the ' Protestants 
could not agree to without surrendering 
all their rights : that it should be called by 
the authority of the Pope ; that it should 
be held in Italy, where it would be under 
his control: that none should vote except 
those who were entitled to the privilege by 
Papal usages; and that the Protestants 
should bind themselves to submit to its de- 
cision, before it was determined whether 
those decisions were governed by the Scrip- 
tures, or by some other rule. 

Elizabeth. It seems very strange to me, 
that a man who professed to be the repre- 
sentative of Christ should be so hypocriti- 
cal and insincere. 



QUESTIONS. 193 

Mother. The cardinals maintained open- 
ly that no council was necessary. They 
said a council could not but approve what 
the Pope had determined; and if it should 
do otherwise it would become an unlawful 
assembly, as all those were which had 
separated themselves from the doctrine and 
obedience of the Pope. 

QUESTIONS. 

What did Luther do, after the Diet of Augsburg ? What 
measures were taken by the Protestant princes to prepare 
themselves for defence against the Edict of Augsburg? 
How did they treat the Swiss, in regard to these measures ? 
Why was this 1 What good has resulted from the division 
of sentiment among Protestants ? In regard to what must all 
Christians of necessity be agreed ? Concerning what may 
they differ 1 What is the true ground of Christian union 1 
"What is meant by the philosophy or theory of a truth ? On 
what grounds did the Protestants justify resisting the Edict 
of Augsburg ? What was the effect of the league of Smal- 
kald ? What were the stipulations of the Pacification of 
Nuremberg ? How was the Pope affected with this arrange- 
ment ? 



W4 



CHAPTER IX. 

Death of Zuinglius, (Ecolampadius ; and the Elector of 
Saxony. Illness of Luther, General progress of the 
Reformation. 

Mother. Come, my dear children; we 
will this evening close our conversation on 
church history for the present. And, in the 
commencement, I must announce to you 
some afflicting intelligence. 

Caroline. What is that, mother ? 
. Mother. It is the death of three of the 
Reformers. 

Peter. Who, mother 1 

Mother. Zuinglius and (Ecolampadius 
in Switzerland, and the Elector of Saxony 
in Germany. 

Elizabeth. What, our old acquaintance, 
the good Elector John ? 

Mother. Yes, my daughter ; and of him 
I will give some farther account. But the 



CHARACTER OF THE ELECTOR. 195 

particulars respecting the death of the 
others, I must leave till we come to the 
history of the Reformation in Switzerland. 

Samuel Well, I have formed a very- 
high opinion of the Elector of Saxony, 
and I would like to hear more about him. 

Mother. He died of apoplexy, only 
thirteen days after the decree was passed 
by the Diet, confirming the Pacification of 
Nuremberg. 

Samuel I was hoping to hear how he 
died, mother. 

Mother. Well ; though he died so sud- 
denly as to leave no death-bed sayings ; 
yet there are some interesting facts to be - 
gleaned respecting his character. Luther 
said of him, "with him probity expired, 
as did wisdom with his brother Frederic." 
He was affectionately attached to Liitrier- 
The year before his death, when Luther 
was dangerously ill, he visited him, and, 
among other things, said to him, " I beg 
you will not be anxious about your wife 
and children : I will consider them as en- 



196 A GOOD EXAMPLE. 

trusted to me, and will take care of them 
as my own." He was so fond of the 
Scriptures, that he would have them read 
to him by young men of noble families, six 
hours a day: 

Samuel. That was doing good and get- 
ting good at the same time ; for I think his 
example must have been a great benefit to 
these young men. 

Mother. Yes ; but besides this, he used 
to write down the sermons which he heard. 

Elizabeth. How could he do that, 
mother ? 

Mother. You can do it yourself, Eliza- 
beth, if you will try. Make a little blank 
book, and with a pencil write down the 
heads of the sermon, as they fall from the 
speaker's lips, and as much more as you 
can. In doing this, you can abbreviate the 
words to suit yourself, writing only the 
principal words in a sentence. After pub- 
lic worship, or early in the week, write out 
your notes, supplying what you can from 
memory. You will fipd this an interesting 



HUMILITY. 197 

and profitable exercise. But, be careful 
that you do not divide your attention with 
it, so as to lose the benefit of present im- 
pression, which is one of the principal ob- 
jects of preaching. 

Samuel Such devotional habits in such 
a prince, reminds me of Daniel. 

Mother. Yes ; and it shows that a man 
of much business, may also be fervent in 
spirit. He was also' remarkable for his 
deadness to the world. When he was in- 
formed of the rebellion of the rustics, con- 
nected with the disorders of the Anabap- 
tists, he said, "If it be the will of God 
that I should continue a prince, as I have 
hitherto been, his will be done : but if 
otherwise, I can descend to a lower station : 
fewer horses and an humble equipage will 
serve me very well." When we consider 
how ambitious the princes of those times 
were, this shows him to have been superior 
to the motives which usually governed men 
in his station. Luther preached two ser- 
mons on his death, shedding many tears as 



198 HIS MAGNANIMITY. 

he spoke. In one of them, he says, " We 
give thanks to God, who comprehended 
our beloved prince in the benefit and influ- 
ence of the death and resurrection of 
Christ. You know what risk, even of life 
itself, he encountered at Augsburg. I will 
not commend him for his virtues, though 
they were great: I acknowledge that he 
was a sinner, and needed the remission of 
sins. Yet was he an excellent and most 
kind man, free from all guile, and one in 
whom I could never trace pride, anger, or 
envy. He was ready to forgive: nay, 
mild and gentle, even to excess." Bat 
there is one fact more in his history, which 
exhibits a magnanimity and greatness of 
soul, seldom equalled, and, which presents 
a striking contrast to the intriguing and as- 
piring character of the Catholic princes of 
that day, who made every thing, even their 
religion, subservient to their ambitious de- 
signs. After the death of the Emperor 
Maximilian, the Electors assembled and 
gave their votes unanimously for the Elector 



HIS MAGNANIMITY. 199 

of Saxony, as Emperor. But he declined 
the offer, on the ground that the situation 
of the country required that the office 
should be held by a more powerful prince . 
and gave his vote and influence for Charles 
V, which secured his election. 

Samuel. Is it possible that Charles V. 
could treat him as he did at Augsburg. 
after being indebted to him for his crown ? 

Mother. Favors received carry with 
them a sense of obligation ; and to aspir- 
ing and ambitious minds, the remembrance 
of them is unpleasant. It is not uncom- 
mon, therefore, for a person who has risen 
above his benefactors not only to forget 
them, but to treat them ill. 

Elizabeth. The death of the Elector 
must have been a great loss to the Protest- 
ant cause. 

Mother. Yes ; but the Lord supplied 
his place. He was succeeded by his son 
John Frederic, who defended with the 
boldness and zeal of a youth, that cause 
which John had fostered and supported 
17 



200 ILLNESS OF LUTHER. 

with the caution of more advanced age. 
About this time, also, Luther was seized 
with a violent illness, which was likely to 
terminate in apoplexy ; and his life was in 
great jeopardy. While he was in this 
condition, Melancthon and others were 
speaking of the triumph which the Papists 
would have, if Luther should be taken 
away at that time. Overhearing them, he 
said, " But I shall not die now : that I 
know for certain. God will not confirm 
the Papal abominations by my death at 
this time. He will not give them that 
additional occasion of boasting. Satan, 
indeed, would willingly kill me, if he 
could : he hourly besets my steps : but not 
what he wills, but what the Lord wills, 
shall be done." 

Samuel What progress was the Reform- 
ation making at this time, in other parts? 

Mother. It was continually spreading 
and advancing in Germany, Switzerland, 
France, England, Scotland, and other 
parts of the continent ; but as I intend to 



CRUEL ACTS. 201 

give a separate history of it in the several 
countries where its progress was considera- 
ble, I shall not enter into many particulars 
here. It was about this time, (1534) that 
Tindal's translation of the Bible was pub- 
lished in England. In various parts of the 
continent, many suffered for the truth. The 
Duke of Lorraine, in France, had proscribed 
several thousands of his subjects, on ac- 
count of their religion, in a time of great 
scarcity ; so that they were compelled to 
wander about and live on such fruits and 
herbs as grew wild in the fields. 

Elizabeth. O how cruel ! How could 
he do this in the name of the religion of 
Jesus Christ, which breathes the spirit of 
love 1 

Mother. He was acting on the mistaken 
principle that the civil authority has a 
right to regulate the affairs of religion, and 
punish those who will not obey them. 
But Christ says, " My kingdom is not of 
this world,'' intimating that no force is to 
be employed to establish it. 



202 A NOBLE DEED. 

Caroline. O, mother, what became of 
hese poor wanderers ? 

Mother. The spirit of true religion 
opened a fountain of compassion for those 
who had been cast out by false religious 
zeal. The divines of Strasburg induced 
the senate of that city to receive and sup- 
part them till they could be otherwise pro- 
vided for. Two thousand one hundred and 
fifty were received and taken care of, 
at great expense and labor to the pious 
people of Strasburg ; besides being in great 
danger from contagious disease. 

Samuel. If we may judge by their 
fruits, I think we can be at no loss to de- 
cide which is the best religion, the Catholic 
or Protestant. 

Mother. But this is not all that was 
done by this city. In one year, one hun- 
dred and twenty-thousand, five hundred 
and twenty-three thousand, five hundred 
and forty five strangers were received at 
the hospital for the poor ; a large propor- 
tion of whom we may conclude, were 



CONTRAST. 203 

those who had fled from persecution. 
This striking contrast will always be found 
to exist between true and false systems of 
religion. True Christianity, like its divine 
Author, is full of compassion, sympathy, 
and benevolence ; while, everywhere that 
false religion prevails, whether Paganism, 
Islamism or corrupt Christianity, it may 
be truly said, "The dark places of the 
earth are full of the habitations of cruelty." 

QUESTIONS, 

What deaths occurred amoDg the Reformers, during this 
period ? What do you know of the character of the Elec- 
tor of Saxony ? Who succeeded him ? What is related of 
Luther, during a dangerous illness ? What circumstance 
occurred at this time, which exhibits in contrast the influ- 
ence of true and false religion ? 



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